Ordo Ab Chao
by Lord of House Doofenshmirtz
Summary: Something's warping all of the worlds magic& good ol' Constantine is hot on the trail. On top of his ever growing mountain of problems, Zed has a vision that brings to light a possible truth that nobody is ready for.
1. Chapter I

(A/N) This story is contained within an Arrowverse I'm creating that involves the Constantine, Arrow, Flash & Supergirl TV shows. The events of this story take place after the happenings of the first story in the Arrowverse titled 'The League'. You don't need to read it to know what's going on in this.

* * *

Ordo Ab Chao

Chapter I

* * *

1:40AM

Hawthorne, California

The walls in the laundry room were probably yellow once but now they were faded and chipped. There were two windows behind the four machines, facing outward to the horrible view of the next apartment. It didn't matter; nobody cared about views in this city anyway. Too busy with their faces buried in phones, scouring social media for the next cat video.

There were two washing machines and two dryers and a man was loading both. The manager had told him before, no washing after 9:30, but why should he listen when he had the key?

His fiancée and their 1 year old daughter were upstairs in their apartment sleeping while he washed the clothes. They worked late and so washing late was their only option. Next to the machine was a steel trashcan, a really old one, like the ones they used to hit people with in old school wrestling. God he loved old school wrestling-

A loud knock from behind made him jump but nothing was there when he turned around. He shrugged it off and went back to loading the washing machine. The door was behind him and in the upper corner there was a small camera that would go unnoticed by most if they didn't happen to look up. And in a place like this who would think there'd be cameras?

The door behind him swung open and slammed.

This time the man turned around expecting to see one of his neighbors. But nobody was there.

"What the hell?" He moved to the door. "Whoever is playing out there, this shit isn't cool!" When he opened the door he didn't see anything and he shook his head. "Need some sleep," he supposed.

He opened the door and stepped back into the laundry room coming face to face with a fiery-eyed demon. The door clammed closed and his muffled screams were heard by no one.

* * *

6:00 AM

Hawthorne, California

Several officers worked together to yellow tape off the stairway to the laundry room. The neighbors were outside peering in, curious as to what was happening. A woman and a baby were crying uncontrollably and a short man who looked to be the manager was speaking to detectives. All the local authorities were present, most of whom knew each other from previous murders.

In walked a man wearing a white button-up shirt that wasn't buttoned at the top, a black tie that wasn't fully tightened, black shoes and slacks and a trench coat in the California heat. He was clearly out of place but he walked up the stairs with persuasive confidence while lighting a cigarette.

The man reached the top of the stairs and attempted to cross the caution tape but was stopped.

"Excuse me sir but this is a crime scene. I'm gonna need to see some ID." The officer glared at the suspicious man.

"Oh, yeah? Right you are, mate. Here it is." The man reached into his trench coat and produced a wallet. He flipped it and it displayed his FBI identification.

"Oh, I'm sorry, sir. Go right ahead." The officer stepped aside and let the cigarette-smoking Federal Agent go through.

The laundry room was a scene from a slasher film. The walls were painted with blood and dotted here and there with hand prints. Blood pooled on the floor near randomly thrown chunks of the victim. The windows were broken out and the federal agent noted that the room didn't have any glass in it.

"Bugger jumped out the window then?" He wondered to himself. He moved around the laundry room looking at the scene and was glared at by the officers in the room. "FBI," the man said through a cloud of cigarette smoke then knelt down next to one of the body parts. "Messy little fucker..." he whispered absently. He stood and took in the room one last time then looked up at the roof and grinned. "My lucky day."

He quickly left the room and went down the stairs to where he had seen the person he suspected was the manager. An older, Mexican man, he quickly assessed him during his approach. The manager was being hounded by two cheap-suited detectives and looked like he wasn't enjoying himself.

"Alright, alright. Enough of that, yeah?" He walked right up and laced his arm with the managers. "We've got a few questions of our own, so why don't you lot shuffle off somewhere?" He showed his FBI identification and the detectives reluctantly moved on.

He led the manager to a corner and smashed out his cigarette, "What's your name?"

"David," the manager replied. "What's this all about? I already told them everything know."

"FBI mate." He showed the badge.

"But that isn't an FBI badge. It's just a playing card."

The man looked at the card then back at David. "You can see that then? That'll make this a lot easier."

"What the hell is going on?" David the apartment manager demanded in an angry and confused manner. "Who the hell are you?"

The man lit another cigarette, "Name's Constantine. John Constantine. I'm here to find the demon that killed your tenant."

David nervously looked around and began to sweat, "De-demon? What? You need help! I don't know anyth-"

"Let me guess, yeah? This lot first shows, you tell 'em what you saw on the cameras, right? They don't believe you so you show 'em and they look right at the screen and still don't see it?" David's features softened and he calmed down so Constantine continued, "They saw nothin' but you saw a demon kill and eat a man. Didn't you, David?" David nodded silently. "Show me."

A few minutes later, Constantine was in David's apartment watching the footage. The victim never even saw the demon coming. It toyed with him, Constantine noted. After he had seen enough he told David he could turn it off.

Constantine took a last puff on his cigarette, "I'll make sure the demon doesn't come back. But just in case, get yourself some protection. You know, crosses and that sort of thing."

He left the apartment without another word and walked out of the complex. Looking left and then right, he walked right and around the complex until he was at the back. It took a second but he located where the broken glass was and saw the bloody prints of the demon. "Messy, messy." He held his hand over the print, "Gonna regret that." He whispered a spell and the print lit up with a strange glow then that glow began to outline the demons steps.

Constantine reached for another cigarette, "Alright then. Let's get this over with." He coughed and felt like his chest was on fire for a moment. The sudden fit of coughing didn't stop and got progressively worse so that Constantine was forced to hold his hand on the wall to keep himself straight. After a moment it subsided and he stood up and straightened himself. When he looked at the hand he had covered his mouth with it was flecked with spots of blood.

"Well that can't be good," he said before lighting the cigarette and continuing to follow the luminescent footprints.

* * *

Several hours later

East Los Angeles, California

"I need water! And some cold towels! She's burning up!"

An otherworldly shout echoed throughout the run-down hallway of a run-down apartment complex. An old woman opened her door and made the sign of the cross while whispering, " _Padre de la nuestra protegernos_."

Others in the building shuffled about their business with increased speed, trying not to be seen. Whatever was happening in that apartment was terrifying and the screams that came echoes of things not of this world. Inside the apartment building a worried mother and father stood outside a door while a young and novice priest and several nuns rushed around the apartment gathering water and wetting towels. The priest was in the child's bedroom praying over her twitching body while reading from a bible.

Sweat fell from the priest's head and drenched his clothing while he chanted, prayed and quoted every scripture he could but it was doing nothing. Fear was apparent on his face and it made the nuns and others present nervous. He was using all the Lord had given them and still nothing was happening.

A small girl lay strapped to a bed looking around the room with blank, milky white eyes. The voice that came from her body was not of this world and it shook those present to the very core. A nun had already passed out and had to be carried away. Outside the door the priest could hear the worried mother crying out for God to intervene and save her daughter while the father's pacing footsteps could be heard in-between the monstrous screams.

The girl's body lurched upwards and her stomach began to stretch outward as if something was ripping through her. The girl's screams were human now and filled with pain and anguish. It sounded as if she was being tortured. What looked like a face stretched her stomach to the limits and claws raked at her insides. Two nuns turned from the room and ran while the priest gripped his cross and fell back into the wall mumbling prayers to himself.

"Father! Father you have to help her!" one of the few remaining nuns tried to bring the priest back to reality but he just continued to stare as the demon ripped at the girl and she cried out in pain. "Father! Father please do something!"

"It's alright, love. Let him rest there for a bit, yeah? I'll take care of this." The nun looked up to see a man in a trench coat standing in the doorway and smoking a cigarette. He didn't look the least bit disturbed by the bloody and horrific scene before him. Instead his eyes held a hint of curiosity that she found slightly disturbing. Constantine took another drag of his cigarette before tossing it aside without looking. It landed in the priest's holy water.

"You defile the holy water! You fool! Leave before you make things worse!" the second nun cried out.

"Worse, huh? Does seem like you lot have everything under control here." He forced his way passed the nuns and stood over the girl. He held his hands out over the girls stretching stomach and began to chant while he closed his eyes. The girls screaming turned from normal to demonic again and her body began to shake violently. White foam began to spew from her mouth and suddenly she sat up, ripping the bindings that held her and vomited a black liquid all over the floor. The nuns watched as the liquid began to pool and started to vanish.

Constantine reached for his lighter, mumbled some words and then tossed it into the dark vomit. A scream filled the room as the black mess began to bubble and evaporate into thin grey lines of smoke. Seconds later the room was quiet and the priest snapped back to reality.

"Wh-what? What happened?" the sweat-soaked and shaky priest managed to splutter as the nuns wiped his forehead with a clean cloth.

"Demon was attempting to use this girl as a portal to this world," Constantine explained. "Was gonna rip right through her, it was. Couldn't have that."

"Our best methods did nothing…" The priest just looked at him, "Wh-Who are you?"

"Me? Name's John Constantine and I'm no one special at all."

The priest continued to stare, "I'm…" he hesitated as if something was wrong, "My name is Father Parish of Cathedral Chapel of Saint Vibiana." He got to his feet with some assistance from Constantine and a nun. "This, this isn't the first time I've seen this."

Now Constantine was intrigued, "Tell me more, Father."

"Not here!" he looked around nervously as if being watched and then put a hand on Constantine shoulder and whispered. "Tonight. At a place called the Gaslight on Wilshire Boulevard."

Before Constantine could dig for more the parents rushed into the room interrupting whatever the Priest was about to tell him. They began crying tears of joy as they cradled their dehydrated but alive daughter. " _Muchas gracias senior_ ," they said over and over again.

Constantine waved them off, "No worries at all." The father reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet but Constantine again dismissed him, "I can't take payment for that." He told them slowly in English but they didn't seem to understand just kept holding the money out. Constantine smiled and turned for the door while reaching for another cigarette. He then patted his pockets and remembered he'd used his last good lighter to finish off that demon, "Actually, mate. I could use a light." He smiled.

* * *

Sundown

Santa Monica, California

Constantine walked through a shadowy alley with his mind still on his current case, the demon that murdering innocents. He puffed his cigarette looking rather carefree but inside his mind was ablaze. Much to his dismay he had lost the demon's trail after he finished saving the little girl. He didn't know if the demon had led him to the girl's house or if it was an accident but he was sure that he had spent too much time there. With any luck though this priest would be able to send him in the right direction.

Losing the demon wasn't his only concern. If he had been led somewhere by the demon and tricked it meant that it was intelligent and cunning, also able to sense it was being followed. A demon like that shouldn't be able to get through, yet here it was and in its full form no less. Another impossible thing. How'd this happen? And this wasn't the first case he'd been led to that had such strange circumstances surrounding it. How did this demon get through and how was that other able to break through using the small girl? He couldn't wrap his mind around it, such things should be impossible.

Heaven and hell worked a certain way, not unlike the way magic worked. There were rules in place, to keep things fair, Constantine suspected. There were magic users out there with control over elements, or those that could summon monsters and ghouls. Papa Midnite even held some power over the dead, much to Constantine's distaste. He never put much stock in 'flashy magic' as he called it. He was capable enough in most forms of magic but he found a bloke could get by well enough with a few good tricks, a stout mind and good mouthpiece.

However, for whatever reason, the rules were being bent and broken now and magic was all over the place. Zed's dreams and visions had become increasingly more erratic and even painful at times which was why he was here alone in California. Zed and Chas were back home preparing for when he finished his latest task. She'd been having so many flashes lately that it wasn't safe for her to leave and be out helping him. So Constantine had asked Chas to stay with her in case of emergency and set out for California on his own.

Not that John Constantine didn't know a thing or two about being alone but it had been a while since Chas and Zed had climbed on board his crazy train and he rather liked the company. Ah, whatever, now wasn't the time to be thinking on how good it was to have friends. He took a glance upwards and decided now was good a time as any to go meet this priest and see what he could tell him. He had hoped to kill this demon first and then get some Intel but that didn't seem to pan out. Almost as if he was being led nowhere.

Constantine ended up having to actually spend money on a cab to take him to the Gaslight, which he wasn't best about. Only things he liked to spend money on were drinks and cigarettes, with some bits of food thrown in there randomly. Whatever the Gaslight was it was in what one could call a gentrified area. Another negative in his book but as long as it had good drinks he would be fine. He paid the fare and stood back to take a gander at the establishment he was about to enter.

"Well shag me sideways…" Constantine couldn't help but grin. The Gaslight was a bar. "Damned priest only went and invited me to a bar." He chuckled at the thought and made his way to the door where he was stopped by security.

"Need to see ID…" he snatched Constantine's cigarette and threw it aside."…and no smoking inside."

Constantine scrunched his face and reached inside his trench coat, "Sure, sure. ID and all that, we good?" He pulled out a card and flashed it then reached and got another cigarette and lit it.

"I said no-

" **You and your friends here won't say a bloody thing about me smoking anywhere I please**." Constantine's voice echoed and his eyes went white for a moment as he invoked some sort of magical dominance over the security at the door. Without preamble they nodded and opened the door for him. "Thank you gentlemen. **Have a good night**." The security would go on to have one of the best nights of his life but when he awoke the next day he couldn't for the life of him remember why.

The place was small but quaint. A long bar to the right ran the length of the joint with tables, stools and a few booths going along the left. There was a small stage for karaoke in front of a small dance floor and a jukebox machine next to that. The few guests looked up at him for a second and then went back to their conversations. If any of them had a problem with him smoking they said nothing and didn't show a sign of it.

Constantine found Parish sitting at the far end of the bar, close to the restrooms and the backdoor. He took a seat next to him and put out what was left of his cigarette. Father Parish was dressed in normal attire and if not for previous knowledge, Constantine wouldn't have been able to tell he was a follower of the lord. "Fancy meeting you in a place like this."

Father Parish looked nervous and shaky. A slight sheen of sweat could be seen about his forehead even though the atmosphere was relatively cold inside the bar. His drink was half empty and his eyes darted around. Constantine muttered a protection and detection spell in case any surprises were waiting for him. He didn't trust anybody. A priest least of all.

"This is the last place they'll look for me." Parish finally replied.

"They? What are you yammerin' on about?" Constantine asked but the bartender approached before he could get answers.

"What'll ya' be havin?"

"Gin and tonic if ya will." The bartender wiped the drink up quickly and Constantine placed down the payment. "So as you were saying, Parish?" he sipped the drink and nodded approvingly. "I see why you come here." He joked.

Parish was oblivious, "Something is happening. Some-Something out of our control." He was muttering nonsense. At first sight, Constantine had thought that the man was nervous about seeing the demon pulling through the girl but now he could tell it was something deeper than that.

"How about you have a drink, calm down a bit and start at the beginning for me." Constantine slid the cup in front of Parish to him.

"Yeah, yeah. A drink. That sounds good." The Priest lifted the glass and drained it in a single gulp. "Bartender! Another boiler maker!" the bartender happily filled Parish request and slid the shot and glass to him. Parish poured the whisky into the beer, "I started about a month or two ago. Started having these strange feelings at first and then it got worse. Started to see demons coming through the barriers…" he looked at Constantine with fear in his eyes. "…what happened tonight…that's the fourth case I've had like that in a month."

"Shit…" Constantine took a drink.

"You don't understand. That's the fourth time I've dealt with it but it's the first time the demons been stopped." Now Constantine stared at Parish. "It's like God has stopped answering our prayers or something. My mentor was killed in a recent botched attempt at banishment. Many priests and nuns have died in recent months. God has abandoned his followers."

"No. More likely some bugger's tampering with the balance of magic and it's weakening things that shouldn't be weakened." Constantine said as if it were nothing.

"That would make sense but who and why?"

"Seems that's what I'm gonna have to figure out, yeah?" Constantine drained his Gin and tonic then waved for another. "Anything else you can tell me, Father?"

"Ever since my first encounter I feel like I've been being followed. Like, like a demon is trailing me or something."

Constantine's eyes grew wide, "Tell me, ever been to Hawthorne?"

Parish eyes narrowed, "Yeah. My brother, David owns an apartment complex there. I washed some clothes there the other day."

It dawned on him what might be happening but Constantine fell silent and drank more for a while. He and Parish sat long enough to both finish their drinks before, Constantine got a tingle from one of his protection spells. He stood up and straightened his coat, "Gonna have a smoke out back. Care to join me?" Parish looked at his empty cup and stood on shaky knees to follow.

At the back of the bar were two doors. One door led out to an alleyway beside a parking lot and another led to a smoking area. The smoking area was sectioned off by a six and half foot fence made from wood so nobody could see through it. Constantine went to the smoking area and found a few people out there. Before Parish could join him he eyed them all, " **You're all gonna go inside and stay there until the bar closes**." The people got up and walked inside without another word.

"Sit with me, Father." Constantine took a seat and lit up a cigarette. "Banish many demons in your time?"

"A few, yes."

"Interesting stuff." Constantine exhaled. "So what drives a fresh, potential-filled priest of a respectable church to alcoholism?"

"I'm not an alcoholic." Parish said firmly, and Constantine almost believed him. His shoulders slumped and the tough façade broke down, "I'd banished my first demon and was feeling cocky, one could say. The second time I…I went alone, without the help or sanction of my mentor. When I arrived I…the poor boy…I was so nervous…said the wrong words…it shouldn't have been that serious but the unbalance of magic…"

Constantine puffed hard, "So you unleashed the first fucker on us then?"

"Yes." Parish looked ashamed. "...and I know its name."

Constantine sat straight up immediately. If he knew the demons name he could summon it, command it or banish it with no problem. "Its name, Father! Tell me its blood name!"

Parish was sobbing softly. "Yes. Of course. It's-

The wooden fence exploded inward and the demon from the footage flew inside with a shriek of rage. It tackled, Parish down and through one of the small tables that was in the smoking area. Ash and cigarette butts flew everywhere, some going into Constantine's eyes. _'No! No! This wasn't supposed to happen_!' he thought to himself and frantically tried to clear his eyes. This wasn't part of his plan.

He heard Parish scream, "No! Constantine! Help me!" and then he heard the sound of bone breaking, chewing and swallowing.

"No!" he finally got his eyes cleaned enough to see the demon standing over, Father Parish mutilated corpse. Then its eyes turned to him.

"Con-stan-tine…" its voice was like nails on a chalkboard.

"Bloody hell...it knows my name…" The demon backhanded Constantine with a fierce blow that sent him backwards through the fence and onto a car window that was parked on the other side. By the time he regained his senses and stumbled back into the smoking area the demon was gone and all that was left were the remains of the alcoholic priest.

"No. Dammit! No!" Constantine slid to the ground. He had done this. This was his fault. He should have warned the priest the moment he suspected the demon was likely coming for him back in the bar. He had been worried the priest might run or possibly disable the demons ability to track him. Constantine had been so caught up in his selfish quest to stop the demon that he didn't think about what would happen if his bait was harmed. He had led down his guard for a moment in a rush to learn the demons name and it had cost a man his life. Another on the long list of people that had died because of his arrogance and stupidity. This demon was somehow more powerful than usually allowed but that was a puzzle for another time.

"It won't be in vain." He whispered. Ripping a piece of Parish's clothing, he drenched it in his blood then held his hands over it and muttered a spell. He stood up and brushed off his coat and shirt then lit another cigarette. He could hear voices from inside and footsteps coming his way so he turned and walked away.


	2. Chapter II

Ordo Ab Chao

Chapter II

* * *

Sunrise

Santa Monica, California

He hadn't slept a wink that night and he was fairly sure he had soiled himself somewhere after the fourth or fifth bottle. Honestly he didn't even know why he was so upset about Parish's death. Wasn't the first bit of blood on his hands and he doubted it would be the last. Still, something about him…a nagging feeling in the back of his head that kept bringing up emotions he needed to drown out. And that's exactly what he did.

After he had jogged down the block a bit, Constantine managed to flag down a cab and hopped inside telling him to take him to the nearest bar that wasn't named Gaslight. He paid for the first few drinks but the guilt only grew and with it his thirst. The second bottle was acquired on a bit of misused magic but he didn't care at this point and he sparked up a cigarette at the bar. This got weird looks from other patrons and a few even tried to follow in his example.

They were immediately chastised and when the angry looks came his way, Constantine dismissed them with a simple, "Can't all do what I do, love."

He raised numerous toasts that night and the more he drank the more ridiculous they became until it reach the inevitable point where he had to be carried from the bar. Constantine regained some form of consciousness when he felt his head impact with the cold ground of the alley behind the bar. He sat up and rubbed his head, "Tossed in the alley outback? Classic story stuff there," he said as if anyone was listening.

That had been some hours and several bars ago.

Somehow he had ended up at the beach and was watching the sunrise as he smoked the last cigarette in his pack. He grumbled a bit as he lit it and then a fit of coughing took over and he leaned onto the fence hard for support. After he finished he checked and saw little specks of blood but again he ignored it and continued what he was doing.

The wind felt good and he could hear the birds calling out in the morning. If one looked hard enough they could see pelicans in the distance diving down into the water in attempt to scoop up fish. Surfers were paddling out into the waves to catch the morning swell and there was laughter in the air blending with the sounds of cars, people and the waves slapping against the shoreline. For a moment, Constantine closed his eyes and was at peace with everything. His mind was clear and a small smile crept itself onto his face.

Then he felt something touch his shoulder. He looked and rolled his eyes at the large spot of bird shit, "Well fuck you too, wanker." Taking one last glance at the sunrise, he tossed the butt of his last cigarette down. He watched it fall.

Constantine straightened himself out as best he could and then turned towards the street. "Time to get going then." First things first he needed to get a fresh pack from the nearest place that sold cigarettes. Then he had to begin prepping for his plan to take down this demon. A plan that would involve the priest's brother, David Parish.

He was a fool to even think that David would agree to this but then Constantine wasn't going to tell him the full details was he? No, he wasn't. Nobody in their right mind would go along with his plan if they knew the full details. Was damn likely he wouldn't go along with it if given _any_ of the details but at the moment, he didn't feel like lying and using anybody else.

Constantine followed his nose and after a few blocks ended up at a corner store. His head hurt a bit so he got himself a pack and a small shot of gin to balance himself out. It was going to be a long day and he needed his wits about him. He left the store and found himself caught in the morning bustle of those people living near the beach. The sea air was nice and refreshing and it had helped clear the smell of Parish's blood from his nostrils. Well, that and all the alcohol and cigarettes he'd gone through last night.

Speaking of cigarettes he decided it was time for another and quickly lit it with a flick of his lighter. He stood there savoring the deadly smoke and then opened the shot of gin and took it down in one gulp. Quick shake of the head and he as ready to go. Ten minutes passed and he finally got a cab to stop for him.

He climbed inside, "Christ alive it's like war to get a cab 'round here," Constantine said as he flopped down into the backseat.

"Yeah," the cab driver replied absently. "A lot of people just use that Uber or Lyft nowadays. Getting hard for a cabbie to make ends meet now."

"I know the feeling." Constantine thought about when magical drama and mishaps weren't plentiful and how he had to bend the rules to get what he needed during those times.

"Anyways, where to buddy?"

"Hawthorne."

* * *

11:00AM

Hawthorne, California

"So then I says to 'em, ya better get along before that grizzly bear comes back for round 2!" Constantine and David both burst with laughter coupled with knee slapping and the wiping of tears.

He'd been here for an hour or so now which was ridiculous when he thought about it. The traffic from Santa Monica to Hawthorne was horrible. It had taken nearly two hours on the freeway and when Constantine voiced some complaints the cabbie offered that maybe the streets would be faster. No luck there either. Traffic was one of the reasons Constantine hated places like Los Angeles and New York. It was so difficult for a bloke to get around.

The ride had been uneventful mostly but the conversation had taken a turn towards the occult when the cabbie started to share dreams he was having. The dreams, Constantine knew, were a direct result of the massive fluctuations going on within the magical world. Same thing that was allowing this demon he was chasing to be so powerful even though he shouldn't be. Constantine decided not to tell the man that he was likely from a family of witches or wizards and just left it at, "Have a drink mate. Might clear that head up," before he got out and paid the fare.

He found David crying in his apartment as he had just got the news that his brother was killed last night already. Constantine was there to comfort him with a bottle of the good stuff and some stories, as he claimed upon pushing his way inside the apartment. Now the two were sharing drinks and laughing it up while trails of smoke floated around the living room.

"Never married?" Constantine asked.

"No. You?" David took a swig and wiped his mouth a bit.

"Not my thing. Had a few good ones over the years but never found a place I wanted to settle."

"I hear ya," David replied gruffly. "I came here hoping to make my way in the construction business. A lot of building going on Downtown and if a man could get his company to rights to building…" he let his voice trail off and Constantine could see he was thinking dark thoughts. "...well that was a young man's dream anyway. Settled on managing properties for this company and been living here ever since."

"Not so bad, though? Free room and board." Constantine puffed his cigarette.

"Not the worst thing I could have ended up doing sure." David chuckled. "Could have been a Priest like my brother."

The mention of his brother made, Constantine pause. 'Better now than ever.' He thought to himself. "You know, when your brother died mate, the two of us were trying to stop that demon that killed your tenant the other day."

David's eyes grew wide. "How did he-

"Damn demon was tracking him for some reason. Had your brother been here recently?"

David thought, "Yeah. Yeah, he'd washed some clothes here and cut himself down in the room now that I think about it."

Now Constantine was starting to put the puzzle together a little bit. The damned demon was hunting Parish down because he knew it's bloody name and was somehow tracking him through his blood. A hunting demon wasn't usual prey as they weren't often found above ground. Now he knew for sure that something strange was going on in the world of magic and he needed to put this creature down before he could investigate any further. He had got lost in thought and noticed that David had been talking that whole time and he hadn't heard a single word.

"Ah, right, so your brother and I were trying to kill the damned thing but it caught us by surprise and managed to knock me out and kill him. By the time I came to the beastie was gone."

David was quiet. "Thanks for telling me." He finally said. "It helps some actually."

"You can help more if you're willing." A little bit of guilt swelled up but Constantine forced it down. This needed to happen so he could make sure more innocents weren't killed.

"How can I do that?" that's all he needed to hear but he could sense David was nervous.

"Your brother used a bit of his blood to bring the beastie to us. I managed to get some and preserve it with a bit of magic. If you'd allow I'd like to use your brother's blood to summon the thing here and this time put it down for good." Constantine held his breath after his finished talking. Any sane person would say no and curse him from their household.

"Alright."

Constantine's eyes grew wide, "Yeah? You're sure?"

"You can protect me right? You'll keep me safe?"

"Of course, mate. I'll put some protection spells around you, the whole nine yards. When the demon gets here I'll end him quickly and we'll both go back to our lives the way they were before this whole mess started."

David nodded again. "Alright. Alright let's do it." David stood up. "What do I have to do?"

Constantine followed his lead and stood up while clapping his hands together. "Right. So, I need you to sit here…" he grabbed a chair and placed it in the middle of the living room. "…and don't move a muscle."

David sat down and Constantine began pulling items from his coat pockets. Firstly he drew out several esoteric symbols in different spots around the room, each near the chair. Then he surrounded the chair in a circle with some kind of salt-like powder while chanting words in a deeply disturbing tone. David felt fear blossom inside him when he felt a strange power pulse around him. Constantine then pulled a blood soaked piece of cloth from another pocket and said a few incantations over it before placing it on the ground. The blood from the cloth stretched and spread itself along the powdered circle turning it a pulsing blood red color.

Constantine continued to chant and then closed his eyes and raised his voice. David didn't move at all and sweat began to dot his forehead. The chanting stopped and an eerie silence filled the apartment as Constantine stood there with his hands spread as if waiting for something and David swore he could hear both of their heartbeats.

Suddenly a burst of flames exploded and the demon shot forth with an otherworldly cry that might have been pain. The demon's fiery eyes fell on David and he felt a fear so strong he began to stand up, "No! Don't bloody move!" Constantine's words were louder than the demons cries somehow.

The creature went to move but Constantine held out his hand and mumbled something making the symbols he'd drawn glow brightly then the demon froze in place. The creature looked around as if shocked and then its eyes fell on, Constantine. "Con…stan…tine…"

"Yeah, you bloody pile of filth, Constantine. That's my name." He eyed the demon and his suspicions were fully confirmed now. This higher class of demon wasn't usually able to be so free in the human world. Great magic had to bring it here or some sort of mystical disturbance weakened the barrier between realms enough for him to escape through. "Now you're going to tell me what I need to know you hear me."

"I…am…not…servant…" the demons voice was like nails on a chalkboard and David cowered in fear but didn't leave the chair.

Constantine raised his voice, "I command you! Tell me how you came to this world!" The symbols pulsed with energy.

The demon began to shriek and claw at the invisible barrier that kept him trapped. "…hole opened…I entered…now I'm free…"

"Free? Not entirely, mate." Constantine joked. "What's wrong with magic? Why is everything all topsy turvey?"

The demon resisted and Constantine made another pulse of energy come forth. David hoped the neighbors couldn't hear what was going on in his apartment. "…someone….something…consuming much magic…messing with balance…allows both sides entry…"

"Both sides, eh?" Some good news at least. That meant demons and angels were both roaming around. The angels were probably killing every demon they could find and that's why this issue hadn't become a full blown invasion yet. Still strange in that if that were happening both of the main heads in Heaven and Hell surely would have taken notice. "Are there any more of you bastards running 'round here?"

The demon again resisted and Constantine again used force to torture it. The demon raged this time and began to pound its fists against the barrier ignoring the pain the glowing pulse caused it. Constantine began to chant but the demon pounded harder and harder.

"Kill it! Kill it before it escapes!" David cried out in terror.

"I need more answers! I can handle this!" Constantine closed his eyes and concentrated on keeping the beast locked up. "Dammit I can handle this!" he grumbled, his voice low.

"You…grow…weak…" The demon lifted itself up and hit the barrier with all the strength it could muster, the force tossing Constantine across the room where he landed through the dining table. The demon was free and it rose up to its full height to tower over David.

David shrieked like a girl and then jumped from his chair and tried to run. "No!" Constantine was struggling to his feet and tried to send out protection but it was too late. The demon snatched David in its hands and bit down on his head. A sickening crunch filled the air and for a moment, Constantine looked away. "No…" he said weaker, as he watched David's lifeless body hit the floor.

The demon turned to him and charged at full speed, "Don't think so love." Constantine unleashed his full fury and blew the demon back against the wall along with several of the lighter objects in the apartment. "You're not getting sent back to hell." He walked closer and began to chant a spell to kill the demon.

"No…No…I help…information…"

Constantine paused. "Go on then."

"Weakening barriers not known by all yet….will be soon…more of my kind will come…you will be overwhelmed…"

Constantine was quiet and the demon decided it was best to give some information, "…there is lair near here…sexual energies there…they grow stronger because of imbalance…I help you…you need someone on inside…"

Constantine thought about it for a moment. "You're right. I do."

If the demon had a facial expression it would have been one of relief at that moment but then Constantine finished his spell and the demon exploded in flame and died instantly. "But it ain't gonna be you," he finished.

Constantine brushed himself off and took a last look at David's body. "I'm sorry, mate. Told ya not to move." He pulled out his cigarettes and sparked one up.

* * *

Unknown time

The Millhouse

 _She could see him, John Constantine. He was standing on a platform of some kind looking out at the ocean. She could see the breeze blowing his hair about and making his cigarette burn faster. She knew he hated that and it made her smile a little. People moved about him but upon further inspection she saw that these weren't humans but supernatural creatures moving about and each one was staring at him with deadly intent. Ghosts, ghouls, demons, everything that had been revealed to her to be real, all of them were glaring at Constantine._

 _Then blood began to run down the face of the sun turning the sky a deep red color. Constantine looked around and the creatures around him all attacked at once. He was swarmed and pushed into the ground. The beach vanished, the platform vanished and was replaced by a black abyss that swallowed Constantine and the creatures up._

 _Light flashed and the creatures were blown away but now Constantine was standing alone in darkness and then she saw something blacker than even the abyss around him form tendrils. The tendrils swirled upwards and went straight into Constantine's nose, eyes and mouth lifting him from the ground as he cried out. She could see them flowing through his body and stopping in his lungs. Once the tendrils vanished, Constantine fell to his knees and began to cough in a furious fit._

 _He coughed and coughed until blood began to pour from his mouth and pool up beneath him and then he fell face forward into the pool of blood and died._

Zed sat up screaming at the top of her lungs and Chas burst into the room fully armed. "What?! What is it? Those damn ghosts messing with you again?!"

Zed's hair was wild and her eyes were full of fear. "We need to talk to John. Now!"


	3. Chapter III

Ordo Ab Chao

Chapter III

* * *

3:00PM

Downtown Los Angeles, California

"Bad dream? Well what did she see? Me dying? That's very cryptic don't ya think? No, no I am taking this seriously. Did you hear what I told you? The magic out here is all messed up. Somebody's tampering with it and weakening the barriers between realms. Angels and demons are coming through and it's only a matter of time before an all-out war breaks loose." Constantine looked around at the people of Southern California as they walked around him. So carefree, so absent minded, so lost. "Believe me mate, these blokes aren't ready for what will happen if I don't stop this."

"If things are that bad then you'll need our help, John." Chas told him.

"Yeah. You may be right about that. Why don't you both take the first flight out and we'll see ya then, yeah?" Constantine could feel the fluctuations of magic happening all around him as he hung up the phone. He was sitting on a bench looking like your average citizen except that he was wearing a trench coat in the California sun. He was anything but average.

Across the street was the building that the demon had led him to. It hadn't taken much work for Constantine to find it as the magical energies surrounding the place could be felt for miles. He simply followed the trail and it led him right to it. Dozens of people had walked in and out over the past hours he'd been sitting there. 'Poor sods have no idea what's drawing them there.' He thought to himself. He could see that every person that entered was attuned to magic in some way or another but had no idea. They were led inside and drained of everything then sent away. He knew this because everyone that left no longer gave off a magical energy. Not only that but they looked physically drained and older but would never know why. They'd blame it on some sort of depression or the usual dark cloud business but Constantine and people like him knew the truth.

Constantine wondered if this was the only place where something like this was going on but that was a foolish thought. With the way things were working now he knew there had to be dozens of spots all over where demons and creatures were stealing souls and magic while they could. Hell ran on souls and the demon with the most to sell had the most power. It was sort of like the drug trade of our world in that it followed simple supply and demand rules. Everyone in hell wanted souls for various reasons and thus created demand. It was only natural that someone stepped up to fill that demand thus creating supply.

The problem was that all those souls had to come from somewhere right? And where exactly do you think they came from? Humans of course. Humans foolish enough to dabble in things they don't fully understand or make deals with beings they can't possibly comprehend in exchange for fleeting access to the greater pleasures magic and the supernatural can provide.

"Poor bleeding sods." Constantine said, smoking lightly on his cigarette and continued to watch the traffic flow in and out of the building. He didn't want to be caught unawares like with the Parish brothers and lose more innocent lives.

There were protection spells in place around the otherworldly brothel but nothing to powerful that he couldn't muscle his way through to get the job done. Problem was that this place seemed to be open 24 hours a day so he wouldn't be able to wait until it was closed to try and minimize possible causalities while he cleared the place out. The succubus surely would use the human souls as leverage against him if it came down to it but he didn't suspect it would. While he sat there formulating his plan of attack the cough returned and this time he noticed more blood.

"This ain't good..." he wiped his hand clean with a cloth he kept in his trench coat. The blood made him think of, Zed's latest vision. He wasn't an expert on dreams, visions or analyzing them but it seemed pretty straight forward that it was about his death. Could it have something to do with this cough? One could never be sure.

Perhaps the cough was karma for some of the souls he'd lost over the years of fighting evil. Lord knows he deserved it. It seemed to Constantine that all of his victories came with a loss one way or another and that fact made him often question if his wins were truly wins. Even those rare victories where there was no discernible loss on his part he wondered about. But that was because of the people, human beings and all that. So mindless, so ignorant. Were they worth saving? The question troubled him again and again yet he kept putting himself at risk for them. Why?

Because he loved it.

Downtown Los Angeles was a hive of magical energies twisted together in a knot of beauty to anyone versed in the occult. Few places had a draw like this in the States. New York and Chicago were two others and Constantine had been to both places. Downtown was no different really. The shadows still held dangers that could swallow a man whole or send him falling into the clutches of a demonic slaver. The rank smell of piss, shit and homelessness coupled with the heavy perfumes and colognes of the wealthy blended together in a throat-gagging mess that assaulted the nostrils.

….and he loved it.

Never in any other part of this county had Constantine seen the gap between wealth and poverty more apparent than here. There were tents and homeless all along the streets begging, doing drugs and living in makeshift hovels to beat the weather of the day. The poor slept any and everywhere here; sometimes one had to step right over them to continue walking the sidewalk or wake them up because they had passed out in-between your car as it was parked. Drug addicts fought each other over prime panhandling locations and the petty coins tossed at them by the wealthy that walked by them.

As the poor languished the wealthy continued to build as if they weren't there directly in front of them. Buildings stretched to the sky as far as the eye could see with their glass windows reflecting sunlight that no longer reached the ground below because of so many skyscrapers. Five star restaurants and overly high priced coffee shops lined the streets along with supermarkets that sold food the poor had no access to. Construction crews worked around the clock in an effort to gentrify this area even further than it already was. Instead of doing something about the poor like perhaps building something for them instead of another massive skyscraper, the rich just build on top of them or pushed them out. Whatever worked best for the current situation.

And yet, he loved it.

Constantine swallowed the bile that rose up as the realization settled down on him. It was the truth. But it wasn't that he loved the conditions or that treatment but the magical pull he felt in a place like this. So many people gathered together in one tight location. Their hopes, dreams, fantasies…everything blending together in a delicious magical soufflé that could make even the most steadfast magician drool with hunger. It was no wonder the succubus has chosen this as a location for their business.

The hours trickled away without him really noticing. He sat, smoked and watched for hours finally coming to the conclusion that there would never be a good time and so he put out his latest cancer stick and then walked towards the entryway. Constantine knew that to a succubus his magical signature would look like a buffet table and he would receive extra attention compared to the others. He flipped up his coat collar and summoned every bit of charm he had.

The building looked normal enough to the naked eye. Red brick and stone, fashioned after an older time in American construction. It was very well kept and purposely designed to give the look of days long past. The doorway was two massive wooden doors inlaid with what looked like gold but Constantine could see it was used to trap the magical energy inside once it was in the building. He had pondered how the contained such massive amounts of magic and now he knew.

The two women at the doorway were dressed as greeters and smiled broadly. They were beautiful to look at with almond eyes, supple bodies and smiles that flashed brilliant white teeth. One was blonde and the other brunette. But this was just a sham as Constantine could see their true forms beneath the magical visage.

He walked up the stairs with confidence oozing off him like the magic that had just snatched the succubi's attention. Both of them immediately stopped greeting and stared at him with lustful, hungry eyes.

"Welcome sir," said the brunette while lacing her arm in his so she could try to syphon some of his energy with a brief moment of contact. She would be quite disappointed to learn that Constantine was immune to everything going on in this brothel. His protection spells and barriers were not so easily defeated.

"Yes," added the blonde. "Welcome." She too laced her arm in his and the three started to walk towards the doors with all the men behind looking rather upset.

Before they could touch the doors they swung open and out stepped a magnificent older woman. Her hair was jet black and fell down to her shoulders in a river of ivory splendor. Bright and seductive eyes matched the hair and lipstick while her skin was perfectly tanned and tight. She was like a fine aged wine and Constantine found himself drawn to her even though he knew what she was. The woman eyed him in a way that would make a normal man squirm and simply waved off the two greeters who pouted as they walked away.

"My name is, Madam Susana. Welcome to High Spirits." Her smile was warm as the summer sun on the face of an Alaskan family and Constantine took her hand without thinking.

'How ironic is it that this place is called High Spirits?' Constantine thought as he let Susana lead him. 'Or that this is Susana the Succubus.' He smiled at his own jest.

"I have never seen you here before, sir." Susana led him deeper into the brothel.

The interior of the building was of matching design as the outside. The colors and structure called to older times just as the outside work had done and Constantine found himself relaxing. It was heavily crowded with other succubi all over draining every man that was inside of the building. They were all in the halls, he could hear pleasured screams from closed doorways they passed and even saw a few couples shagging right out in public sight.

"Some place you've got here." Constantine said as he took in the sight of two succubi with dildos that were spit-roasting a man in a room with an open door.

Constantine raised his eyebrows and Susana noticed, "Here men are free of judgement and the eyes of those that would use this sensitive information against them. Here one can be truly free to explore the limits of pleasure and pain in whatever way they want."

Constantine said nothing as the hallway continued on for what seemed an unrealistic distance. It had to be magic that was allowing the inside of the building to be much larger than the outside should allow. At the end of the hallway was a door way that had two more succubi standing in front of it.

"They will see you prepared for me." Susana's voice was a seductive whisper that held hints of great power underneath it. It sent fire through Constantine's body. A spell, most likely.

"Sure love. Whatever you say." He let himself be led inside the room.

It was massive, containing the biggest bed he had ever seen along with at least two love seats and numerous implements of sexual deviation. It made him smile to think about how much fun someone could have in this room. Almost a shame he was here to shut the place down instead of have an orgy or two with the local talent.

Speaking of the talent he turned his attention from the room to the fetching young women that were currently giggling and stripping him down. 'Women? Wait. Not women. These are succubi!' Powerful magic was indeed at work. He mumbled a secondary spell to strengthen his defenses. Couldn't have himself succumbing to the lust these creatures inspired in men and women alike.

"Take your clothes off…"

"Lie with us…"

"Yes…lie with us…"

The women tugged at him and moaned as if he was already entering them and he allowed himself to be stripped down to his underwear then pushed into the bed. They both began to kiss and pull at him like desperate drug users and he was surprisingly familiar with this sort of thing.

"So you ladies are a bit different, yeah?"

They continued to moan and kiss seemingly ignoring him.

"I'm not actually here for any of this fun loves."

His trench coat was somehow gone and his shirt was unbuttoned in several places.

"You lot work quickly…" he mumbled to himself and felt his eyes slowly closing as a warm feeling began to seep into every part of his body. He could feel this exhilarating feeling flowing into his very bones and it began to cause him to relax and the outside world became less and less until there was nothing but swirling energies, two succubi and a moaning John Constantine.

Something inside his head clicked.

He snapped back to reality.

"Enough of that now! Get off me!" it took all his strength and resolve to push the demonic creatures off him before they could actually do any damage to his magical energies. He swallowed a bit and wiped his forehead feeling the huge beads of sweat in his palm. 'Damn them they almost got me.' Lucky for him he had put up that secondary defense in precaution. Without it they would surely have drained him dry.

The two creatures recoiled with loud hisses. Their eyes began to transform until they were catlike in appearance. They brandished their newly clawed hands and their fangs dripped saliva.

"Not sure if you lot are mad I didn't shag ya' or because you can't get a taste of me magic." Constantine stood up, looking rather disheveled, and grinned. "Either way it's back to the pits for ya' both, yea?"

The succubi leapt at him as one at the mention of being sent back to hell. "Good. It's always a bit more fun when they fight back." The succubi didn't make it three steps before Constantine finished his incantation and banished them both in a puff of sulfuric smelling smoke.

Outside in the hallway a man was standing with another of the succubi and both heard the dying screams come from inside the room behind them. They looked at the door with slight fear and then it flew open and out stepped, John Constantine fully dressed with a lit cigarette in his mouth.

"What have you done human…?" the man standing next to her collapsed to the ground unconscious.

"Started cleaning out the filth." Constantine replied simply before unleashing a banishment spell. Now he could hear the cries from all the succubus in the brothel as they realized what was going on. Someone was here and was killing them. Constantine inhaled the cancerous smoke from his cigarette and grinned. "Let's show 'em what they're really dealing with." He held up his hand and waved it around in a series of elaborate motions while mumbling words of esoteric power. There was an invisible shimmering that began to flow from him and expanded until it went through the entire building.

As it passed the magic that made the succubi look like they were human faded away and now everyone could see the creatures that were standing near them. The succubi were humanoid in appearance where it mattered to most men; face, breasts and private parts, but with the magic veil lifted their horns began to grow from their heads. Many of the succubi had tails and a few sprouted wings from their backs. All of their legs began to morph until their legs and feet were covered in hair and looked similar to the hooved feet of fawns or goats.

All around him the men began to break free of the mystical bonds that held them sway and were screaming and running at the top of their lungs. Exactly what he wanted to happen. If they attacked at once Constantine could be overwhelmed but with people panicking all around him and general confusion everywhere he would be able to move through and banish as many as possible before they realized who exactly was doing what.

And that's what he did.

Constantine moved through the halls like a mystic executioner blasting succubi back to hell with efficiency, skill and much, much enjoyment. He had just turned another one of the creatures into a smoking pile of sulfuric cinders when the wall beside him burst outward and a succubus came flying out at him. Constantine was tackled to the right and tumbled from the upper floor he was on, both of them smashed through a table and hit the floor below them hard.

"Bloody hell…" He managed to roll over onto his shoulder and tried to regain his composure. "...damn thing shouldn't have been able to do that..." He had magic's in place that should have protected him from physical attack by lower level demonic entities. The imbalance in magic was definitely affecting these creatures' power levels. He could feel ache in his body but ignored it as he saw the succubus standing over him.

"…your suffering will be legendary…" the angry creature said. "You will know tortures unheard of in all of human history…I will keep you alive and use you to feed whenever my hunger needs sating….feeding off your magical life energies until I have grown fat and powerful-

The succubus exploded in a puff of screams, flame and smoke. "You talk too much, love. If you're going to kill someone just do it." Constantine stood up and looked around for his cigarette but saw it was crushed and broken so he reached for another one and lit it. "Well, back to work. Damned things am not gonna banish themselves."

Constantine walked through the hallways sending every succubus he could find back to where they came from. He checked every room, closet and every inch of the building he could to make sure he got them all. He wouldn't give them a chance to rebuild and reclaim this area at least so he ignored how weary he felt and how difficult he got with every step he took. He kept on blasting away at the creatures, unleashing magic on them and making sure they were sent back in the most painful way possible.

He had met with a few more of the succubus who were powerful as the one that had tossed him from the second floor. The first and thrown him around quite a bit before he was able to concentrate and get off a proper banishment. The second and third had been easier but he had still been flung through several other expensive looking furniture items before getting rid of them. Now he stood with his chest heaving up and down in the middle of the hall feeling more exhausted then he had in years.

His cigarette was held limp in his hand and he leaned back on the wall beside him as a fit of coughing tore through his body. He fell to his knee and attempted to regain his senses as everything began to become disoriented from the painful coughing fit. 'Get it together Johnny boy. Still one more left.'

Through blurred vision he thought he noticed an approaching figure and recognized it as the succubus leader, Susana. He couldn't make out features but the magical signature was definitely the one he'd seen earlier and he could smell the intoxicating perfume as she drew closer to him.

"You've been a busy man, Mr. Constantine." Her voice was still seductive and low but behind it was an echo of evil power that sent a chill down his spine every time he heard it. Constantine recognized this as an attempt to overpower him similar to what he used on people when he was out in public and wanted to do what wasn't allowed. He was well protected against such and ignored it as if it were nothing.

"Yeah well…" Constantine managed to stand up. "…Nanny always said, ain't no rest for the wicked."

Susana scoffed, "A truer statement has yet to be spoke by mortal lips." She walked closer to him and he could feel her probing his defenses for a weakness. Although he was tired, Constantine was still well protected from magical attacks by all but the most powerful of foes.

"You won't find a way in, Susie." He informed her. "I can feel you trying. You think I'd have come here…you think I'd have done all this without being protected?"

Susana eyed him hungrily, "Why did you come here, petty magician?"

Sparking another cigarette Constantine replied, "Information."

"You needn't have killed my sisters for such."

"I think I did actually. You and your sisters are operating this brothel without permission or anything. You're tearing their connection to the magic of this city and killing people. You had to know someone would come for you eventually, yeah?"

Susana moved with elegance and grace, almost seeming to float rather then walk when she moved across the floor. Try as he might, Constantine couldn't fully resist the alluring perfume coupled with her seductive nature and mysterious attitude. She seemed to notice his looks and unleashed another waved of the magic that succubus used to attract weak minded men.

"I suspected one day someone might." Susana admitted in her echo voice. "But with the imbalance of power the way it is I doubted a threat such as you would emerge."

"A threat I am indeed to those that deserve it."

Susana cocked her head as if listening and then realized what Constantine was hinting at, "What would you have of me in exchange for my freedom?"

"Now we're getting somewhere." Constantine smiled. "Information. Who, what, when, where and how. All of it. Fill in the blanks."

Now Susana began to float towards him. Her hips seemed exaggerated and her breasts looked as though they were growing before his eyes. "The veil between worlds is being weakened by foolish mortals playing with that which they do not understand. Magic works in cycles. Imagine a big circle. We take from that circle every time we cast a spell or anything. That which we use is replaced by an unseen force so that the circle can continue. Somewhere there is a disturbance. A…." the creature that was named Susanna seemed to think for a moment. "Vortex of sorts that is collecting the replacement magic and using it for its own ends. Without the replacement magic my kind and those from above are able to cross over more freely."

"Yeah, and you're able to conjure more powers and all that." Constantine interrupted her. "I didn't come here for a bloody geometry lesson on things I already know. Give me what I need or I'll be sending you back with gasoline knickers on."

Susana eyed him dangerously, "A friend of yours is in town. Perhaps he could be of more service to you then me."

"A friend?"

"Yes. One they call, Papa…"

Realization dawned on Constantine and his eyes widened for a moment. Papa Midnite? Here in Los Angeles? But what in the hell would he be doing here? Constantine would hardly call Papa Midnite a friend but if he was here it was definitely not a good sign. Papa Midnite ran New York City and rarely, if ever, left it. For him to be here meant things were going much worse than he originally thought. This was good Intel and he would have to act on it as soon as possible.

"Thanks for that love." He told Susana and mentally prepared himself to banish her.

"You needn't banish me, Constantine." She floated close to him again but now the disguise was melting away and her true form was beginning to show itself. All the clothing melted away and she stood before him in her full nude glory. She had larger horns then the other succubus he had seen today and her legs were less fawn-like but she still had wings across her back and the appearance of something otherworldly. "I can be of service to you in more ways than information…never in all my years have I met one such as you…so powerful…so mysterious…"

Now Constantine could feel the heat warming his body again as she attempted to seduce him. "None of that love…" he managed to mumble.

"You are well protected. You needn't worry about me stealing anything from you for I cannot." Now she was directly in front of him, her bare breasts nearly brushing against his chest. His eyes locked with her catlike eyes and they stared at each other deeply.

"Then what are you doing this for?"

"Pleasure…"

The word pleasure was the nail in the coffin. How she said it, how it felt when the word flowed through him. Constantine closed his eyes, thought 'I've done worse. Fuck it.' and when he opened them he pressed his lips against Susana's and lost himself in the lust and ecstasy. He could always banish her once they were done.

* * *

Midnight

Downtown Los Angeles, California

Life was too hard for him.

Everything was too complicated.

He had loved her! Why would she do this to him? He had given her everything, dedicated his entire life to making sure she was happy and taken care of. Making sure she would never want for anything in this world. Yet that wasn't enough.

She had watched him build up everything only to take it all away in the end with one swing of her sword. She was a heartless monster and he knew it. Had always known it. But she was beautiful and he had loved her despite her obvious flaws.

They had all told him who and what she was. His mother, his father, sister and even his brother. They had told him and he had ignored them.

"She isn't like that!" he had argued at first.

"I can change her!" the argument had eventually become.

"I…I don't know what to do…" was where it ended up.

Seven years of his life down the drain and gone. Seven years of hard work, dedication, loyalty and persistence only to have it all tossed aside like nothing for a younger and more successful man. How cruel could fate be? Was this a sick joke that God was playing on him? What kind of maniacal god would do such a thing to one of his supposed precious creations? Did he take pleasure in watching those he ruled over suffer and toil through endless agony and torture?

He had been such a loner before he met her. Never going out much and not having many friends. It was a gift from above that he had been invited out that night and ended up meeting her. It had been another gift that she had actually spoken to him and showed interest. He had spent that night in a blissful daydream not imagined in his wildest fantasies.

And even then, part of him knew that it would never end well.

Now here he was nearly a decade later with nothing to show for all his hard work and suffering.

Why?

That was the burning question that kept him awake on nights like this. That was the burning question that drove him to the rooftop of his loft every night to stare up at the sky and the lights of Downtown in search for answers and possibly peace.

Why?

But his question was never answered. It had been nearly a year now and he still felt the pain as if the wound was freshly inflicted every night. He couldn't escape it. Couldn't forget it. Couldn't erase it. There was nothing that he could do but hold his pillow close and cry himself to sleep every night.

"There will never be peace…"

The man nearly jumped from his own skin as he turned around to see who had spoken to him. He knew he was alone. He had made sure he'd locked the door to the roof behind him whenever he came up here because he didn't want to be disturbed. What he saw taught him fear unlike anything he had ever felt before.

It was a ghost.

He could see make out distinguishing features of the figure but it was pale and see through like one would imagine a ghost to be.

"W-wh-what the hell…?"

"There will never be peace…" the ghost repeated again and then it floated into the man without warning. The man shook violently for several moments then stopped and stood up perfectly straight. His eyes were glazed over and milky white. He turned on his heels and walked directly towards the edge of the rooftop.

"There will never be peace…"

He walked off the edge and fell to his death several hundred feet below. As he fell, a dozen other figures could be seen in the night sky tumbling towards the earth.

None of them let out so much as a single scream.


	4. Chapter IV

Ordo Ab Chao

Chapter IV

* * *

Delta Flight Los Angeles #102, in the skies

Zed's eyes were red and her face looked a bit worn from lack of sleep lately. She had been forcing herself to stay awake at all costs and the toll was starting to become visible. Every time she slept she was plagued with the same dream of Constantine dying over and over. It had become too much and since she initially had the dream she had begun taking pills to stay awake whenever she felt sleep coming on.

Chas had advised against it but she hadn't listened and he couldn't or wouldn't force her to stop. He looked over at her now and could see the red in her eyes and the strain on her face. "Just go to sleep for a moment," he whispered.

"No!" she half-shouted half-whispered in reply. "I won't watch him die again!"

"Okay, okay." Chas held up his hand in supplication. "But at least think about it."

Zed ignored him and returned to her thoughts but after a few minutes alone in her own head she decided a quick freshen up in the bathroom was due. She slid past Chas and started to walk towards the restroom. A man was walking towards her. Zed eyed him for a moment and found nothing especially special about him. He was cute to be sure but perhaps she was so tired she couldn't find herself aroused by the tall, milky skinned man that was now smiling at her. "Hello," he said to her as they passed by each other.

Their shoulders brushed and Zed's eyes went white.

 _When Zed opened her eyes again she was in a penthouse or a hotel room of some kind, she couldn't be sure. She looked around and the room was mostly dark but the windows were open and she could see that she was high up in the air. The lights of numerous buildings could be seen like stars in a bright sky and she could hear the sounds of music playing softly in the background. Zed didn't recognize this place at all and for the life of her couldn't understand what she was seeing._

 _She walked towards the large, open windows and looked out. As she did this she saw a man step up behind her. She jumped and turned around. It was the man from the airplane that had spoken to her. He stared ahead, unable to see her, with eyes white as snow and near-dead looking expression on his face. That was when Zed noticed the ghostly figure behind the man. The ghost was an older man in his fifties or sixties with a look of rage and pleasure blended upon his face._

 _Without warning he tossed a large chair through the window and then leapt out of it._

Zed screamed and then woke up back on the airplane looking around frantically. The man was still standing over her and she pulled away from him and slid away a little. Chas came up behind the man. "What happened? Are you alright?" he knelt down with her.

"I-I had another vision," she whispered to him. "Of him." She motioned with her chin to the man now staring in confusion. "A ghost makes him commit suicide when he gets to Los Angeles."

Chas nodded and after helping Zed to his feet he looked at the man extending his hand. "Thanks for your concern. My names Chas and this is Zed."

"No problem. Name's Mason. Mason Jungers."

* * *

10:00AM

Downtown Los Angeles, California

"…worse mass suicide in Downtown history…"

"…seemingly no connection between them…"

"…authorities are baffled…"

"…third time this month multiple suicide victims have…."

"…sign of the end times? More at eleven..." Constantine scoffed and turned off the television. He had been smoking and channel surfing all morning.

The news was abuzz with the latest batch of fear propaganda that the United States media pumped out daily. Today was the suicide of twelve people all of whom were seemingly unrelated and chose to end their lives by jumping from the tops of buildings. Not that strange in a place like Los Angeles really but they had all chosen to jump at the exact same time. None of them had cell phones and none of them had any contact with the other or even the same friends. They each hit the ground at the same time and that should be impossible.

Constantine knew otherwise. At the moment he was in a hotel room recuperating from the ridiculous amount of sex he had had with a certain succubus the night before. He hadn't lost anything precious to him but the creatures stamina was superhuman and her lust insatiable. She may as well have drained him for how he felt at the moment. He hoped that screwing an otherworldly creature wouldn't come back to haunt him in the future.

The pillow talk afterward had proven valuable and made the sexual fling more profitable. Susana had told him that only lower level entities were able to make it through the damaged veil as the protections were still too strong for one of the mighty demon lords. He found out where Papa Midnite was along with the locations of a few other brothels like hers in the city. Constantine knew she had shared that information to see them destroyed like her own. Vindictive thing, she was.

He knew in his bones there was more to this suicide thing then any of the local authorities were likely to uncover and made a note to maybe have a look into it later on if he found the time. His hands were currently filled what with the whole magical veil breaking away and all. Whoever was syphoning the mystical energies of all that is was a mad man to be sure. To do such a thing was to invite calamity and horror upon oneself if even the smallest of things was done wrong. Not to mention the repercussions of being caught by an omnipotent being or a guardian.

Constantine showered quickly and then got dressed, the day was passing him by and the longer it took him to solve this mystery the more wacky things would get. He didn't know how right he was until he stepped outside of the hotel.

Normally there were always things going on that most people couldn't see. While an average person would only see a bright day and a busy intersection, someone who was magically attuned would be seeing a sky filled with otherworldly creatures flying. Or demonic leeches attached to people's heads, gorging themselves on the spiritual energies on the unknowing victims. Usually most of the things were harmless and didn't warrant any attention or banishment but today Constantine was greeted by creatures he shouldn't be seeing.

Beasts of seven feet and taller were standing over people with fangs dripping saliva and eyes filled with hunger. They weren't fully in this realm but the barrier between them was so thin the demons could now see into the human world and they were amassing in large numbers. If the barrier broke it would be a slaughter.

"Not on my watch, mate." Constantine fired up a cigarette and walked down the street with purpose.

* * *

11:30AM

Downtown Los Angeles, California

The walk to where Papa Midnite was holed up in turned out to be rather uneventful and boring. The people of Downtown Los Angeles were like mindless zombies as they trudged through the daily affairs. They barely ever looked up from their cellphones or tablets as they walked through the streets unable to acknowledge another human being. He had spoken to a few women of the prettier sort but got only grunts and weird looks in response to his attempt at normal human kindness. This only served to amplify Constantine's belief that nobody in this city was worth saving or even aware of the grander scope of things.

As it turned out he did find someone that was not only worth saving but also knew the truth.

Constantine had been walking down 7th street when he smelled the strong stench of piss and shit assault his nostrils. He was greeted by the site of a large homeless man curled up in a doorway scribbling away on a wall. At first glance, nobody would even bother to take a second look at the man but Constantine noticed the markings the man was scribbling and stopped to look.

The homeless man had been mumbling incoherently but when Constantine knelt down to get a better look at the markings he understood what was going on.

The homeless man was under attack from some kind of spirit and he was attempting to create a safe area in this doorway by setting up wards and protection spells.

"Nice try, mate but I think you've got a few of 'em a bit wrong." Constantine said to the homeless man as he stood up again.

The homeless man stopped mumbling and looked up at him, "You…you know what I'm trying to do?"

"Yeah. Clear as day it is. Something otherworldly is after ya' and your tryna set up a bit of protection to get some peace and quiet, am I right?"

The homeless man nodded, "You don't think I'm crazy?"

"Crazy? Ha!" Constantine lit up a cigarette. "This is very low on the John Constantine crazy scale. I just saw a couple of succubi spit-roasting a bloke yesterday and that's way crazier than this."

The homeless man was silent, "John Constantine…" he whispered the name as if he knew it."…I've heard your name before in whispers when the ghost comes to me."

Constantine's eyebrow raised, "What have you heard about my name?"

The homeless man's eyes locked with his and he felt a powerful connection between them as the man spoke. His eyes clouded over and his voice gained an echo, "Your name has been thrown around a lot in Hell recently, Constantine. You're gonna be making a trip there soon they say."

"Not likely but go on."

The homeless man laughed and his fat shook on his body, "Yours is said to be the only soul The First of the Fallen will come collect himself."

"I'm that special then? Well I guess I'll just have to make sure I'm alive for many years to come." Constantine exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"These humans build their skyscrapers and monuments to their supposed power and majesty but they don't know what is really going on do they?" Constantine was now sure that this was some sort of creature possessing the homeless man. "Downtown is a haven for lowly depressed souls to congregate. All the roaches pretending to be something greater than they are or chasing dreams they can never accomplish. All of it ends in sadness. Cold, lonely, delicious….sadness..."

"Alright that's enough of that." Constantine held up his hand and forced whatever was inside the homeless man out.

The man shook and color returned to his eyes. "Wh-what did you do?"

"Helped ya' out a bit mate. Can't stand to see a good bloke tortured by the unknown and all that." Constantine reached out for the pen the homeless man had been using to write with. "If ya' don't mind." He said with a smile. The homeless man gave him the pen and Constantine drew out a few symbols on paper with some words underneath them. "Draw these where you're going to be and say these words. It'll keep the little beastie from coming back and messing with your head again."

"Th-thank you, Constantine. Thank you so much."

That moment had made him feel good again after losing both of the Parish brothers to the demon before killing it. The cryptic talk from whatever evil was in him weighed heavily on his mind as well as what he had said about his name coming up in Hell lately and the words of the First of the Fallen. Those were definitely not good signs but right now, Constantine didn't have time for any of that.

After twenty minutes of walking he finally arrived at the address he was given for Papa Midnight. The building was rundown and looked abandoned but Constantine could smell the scent of incense and souls that was so familiar around wherever Midnite was. He approached the entrance but got a ping from his protection spell just as he almost walked into a trap.

Constantine hesitated for a moment then closed his eyes and enchanted the necessary magic to allow him through whatever was keeping people out of this building. After a moment he reached for the door handle and his hand passed through an invisible wall that shimmered and then failed allowing him entry. He happily opened the door and was greeted by several goons pointing large shotguns at him.

"John Constantine…" he knew the voice well. Papa Midnite walked from the shadows behind his armed stooges applauding softly to mock him. "…you're the last person I expected to see on this little trip."

"Could say the same for you, Midnite." Constantine said in a smug tone. "There I was banishing a brothel of succubi when the leader starts yammering off about how the great Papa Midnite is in Los Angeles. Imagine my surprise to hear that."

"Indeed." Midnite did not tell his men to lower their weapons. "Duty calls and I answer."

"I hear ya," Constantine was tired of the guns pointed at him so he invoked dominance, " **You lot lower your weapons and go take a nap until I'm done with your boss here.** " The goons quickly did as they were told, some strange and powerful magic compelling them to obey this man's orders.

Papa Midnite just looked on silently, "You've grown more powerful since I last saw you in New York."

"So have you, mate. That spell outside will keep out everything short of a nuke."

"I don't have the time to deal with interruptions, Constantine."

"Seems like you do to me."

Papa Midnite eyed him dangerously and Constantine immediately realized that something serious was going on. "Alright mate, spill it. What's going on?"

Midnite hesitated for but a moment before motioning for Constantine to follow him. Suddenly candles all around the room they were in began lighting themselves filling the room with eerie light. Now Constantine could see what was going on and quickly lit up another cigarette. The room was full of dead animals, blood and esoteric markings for spells and summoning's.

"What the hell, Papa?"

"I'm sure you're aware that something or someone is tampering with the delicate balance of magic." When Constantine said nothing Midnite continued, "It isn't just changing things for the demons or the angels. It's affecting even us humans down to those with even the weakest of connections to magic. At times I found myself more powerful than I ever was and then I would be unable to control even the most basic of spells."

"Losing your touch?"

Papa Midnite did not find this funny and continued as if Constantine hadn't spoken at all, "As a service I allow people to commune with the spirits of their loved ones for a nominal fee..." at this Constantine showed disapproval but remained silent. "...simple and something I've done hundreds of times. However this time the spirit I summoned to speak was filled with rage and anger. Something had happened to it and with the flux in magic the spirit broke free of my control. I followed it here to Los Angeles where it has been killing people."

"That's your spirit that's making everybody hop off bloody rooftops?!" Constantine demanded while pointing towards the outside.

"I just said that."

Constantine lowered his hand, "Right. Well let's be about getting rid of the thing, I've got work to do. Apocalypses to stop and all that."

Papa Midnite looked at Constantine in a way one would look at a small child. "How you have survived this long racks my brain every day, Constantine."

"Me too, mate. Me too." Constantine went for a cigarette. "So how we track this thing?"

"I suspect the spirit was murdered or cheated in some way during its life. The people it is killing are not random." Papa Midnite handed Constantine some paperwork. "My men have been working since arrival and they came up with this."

"The victims all were on a board together before." Constantine noticed.

"A board that oversaw pensions numerous corporate interests."

Constantine continued to dig through the information. The numbers the board had reported were off and large amounts of money had gone missing and was unaccounted for in the books. "Those blokes were putting away a hefty sum of cash into private accounts." Constantine handed the paperwork back to Papa Midnite. "Your men work fast."

"Or they die," was Papa's cold reply. He turned and walked into a room, motioning for Constantine to follow him. "The woman who came to me about her husband said they were victims of this theft. He went on a trip to Los Angeles and died. I suspect he tried to extort the board members in exchange for silence resulting in his death."

Constantine nodded in agreement. "Sounds about right. So how do we track the spirit so I can banish the fucker back to hell and get on with my job?"

Papa Midnite looked as if he wanted to say something but then changed his mind. "You are a dimwit," he said randomly. "You just read the papers yourself but did not notice?"

"Notice what?"

"The board had thirteen members. Only twelve people were killed."

Constantine snatched the papers off Papa Midnite's desk and looked over them again. "C'mon then! Which one of these unlucky sods is still alive so we can go save 'em from their own karma?"

"Mason Jungers. Returns from a trip to visit family in Germany this afternoon." Papa Midnite looked at his watch. "His flight lands in two hours."

"So call up some of your minions and send 'em off to pick him up and bring him to us." Constantine shook his hand like he was ringing a bell for servants.

"Not that easy. We have to wait until nightfall when he returns to his home. The spirit attacked the others at night so I assume he will be no different."

"Strange assumption, Papa but I'll follow your lead. It's your mess anyway, right?" Constantine finished off his cigarette.

Papa Midnite walked back out into the hallway where his goons were sleeping soundly on the floor. "If you'd be so kind."

"Forgot about them." Constantine chuckled. "Wake up and do your jobs as normal." The men instantly awoke and stood up ready to obey orders.

"Thank you," Papa Midnite told Constantine but his voice was void of gratitude and much emotion. He turned to one of the tallest men. "Take three and go to the airport. Track Mason Jungers and report all information." The man nodded once and then left.

"That easy, huh?" Constantine grinned. "Seems we've got a bit of a wait on our hands then mate. What's say we grab a drink or two?"

* * *

2:00PM

Los Angeles International Airport, Terminal 5

Chas squinted his eyes and put his hand over his forehead to block out some of the bright, California sunshine. The terminal exit was busy as hundreds of people scurried about on their way to do god knew what. Zed and Mason walked up on both his left and right, Zed covering her eyes in a fashion similar to Chas and Mason produced sunglasses then grinned.

"I come here a lot. If you're not from a bright and sunny place it can seem a little extreme. Don't worry though. You'll adjust." Mason told them cheerfully.

"Thanks man," Chas replied. Mason said goodbye and left. "So now what?" Chas asked Zed.

"We follow him of course." Zed thought about it. "We'll call John on the way." Mason had flagged down a taxi and was loading his luggage in so Zed rushed to the edge of the curb and did the same.

"Where to?" the driver asked in a gruff voice.

"Follow that cab." Chas pointed to the yellow and black Toyota Prius that Mason had gotten into. Their cab pulled off just in time to follow his.

If the driver had any problem with following a car he said nothing as they drove for what seemed like an hour or more. They had driven on the street for a while after leaving the airport and then found themselves on a series of freeways, the last of which they were now exiting. All around them they could see skyscrapers reaching for the sky and casting shadows down at them. Buildings hundreds of feet tall all lined with hundreds of tinted glass windows and elevators.

"Don't you guys have earthquakes out here?" Chas asked the driver.

"Haven't had one in a while but yeah we do."

"Wouldn't want to be down here when that happens." Chas sat back in his seat and eyed Mason's cab. It was pulling over and stopping outside of a large apartment complex.

Zed seemed to zone out for a moment as she looked up at the apartment. "Yeah this is the place." She confirmed so both of them opened the doors and got out of the taxi. Chas paid the driver and he popped the trunk so they could get their bags out. Zed watched as Mason was down the road doing the same thing. There were so many people moving along the sidewalks and doing exactly what they were that Mason wasn't likely to notice them.

Chas tossed the last bag down onto the sidewalk and Zed took her eyes off Mason for a second to say, "Make sure you got everything!" When she looked back two large black men were grabbing Mason by the arms. "Chas! Chas! Somebody is attacking him!" and then Zed sped off.

"Shit." Chas chased after her. "Zed! Wait!"

The shouts alerted the large men and they saw Zed and Chas running towards them. "Handle them," one said and mumbled something at Mason that made him go limp. The large man easily lifted Mason up onto his shoulder and walked into the street where an SUV waited with a door open.

"He's getting away!" Zed shouted.

Chas tried to change direction and run towards the car but was intercepted by the second man who stood towering over him with a grim but eager look on his face. "Alright then." Chas swung at the man's stomach and was repelled by a magical force that knocked him unconscious and flung him backwards.

"Chas!" Zed's eyes were wide and the man grinned as he reached for her whispering something that she couldn't understand. Zed felt all the energy in her body leave in one powerful wave and then there was black.

* * *

2:30PM

Downtown Los Angeles

"You know Constantine you are a roach and a boil on the ass of society..." Papa Midnite laughed. "...but at times you are not so bad."

Constantine took the final swig from the bottle and slammed it down nearly breaking it. "Could say the same to you." They both shared a laugh after that. It had taken two bottles and some very entertaining stories about Constantine's flings with otherworldly females and creatures but Papa Midnite had eventually broken down and relaxed.

Constantine wasn't seeking to get over on Papa Midnite or anything but just to have him comfortable with him and around him in case things got hectic later. Constantine thought about David and his brother and found himself looking at the empty bottle hoping for more. Few people knew the dark depths Constantine walked for his victories, if one could even call them that. Who knows? Constantine might have to sacrifice Papa Midnite to properly banish this ghost. Could he do it? He looked at Papa Midnight?

Yes. Without hesitation.

"I had thought for a minute that you might've had some hand in this weird business with magic." Constantine admitted to Papa Midnite.

"And I you." They laughed again but Papa Midnite abruptly stopped and got serious, "I was kidding. This is way above your pay grade. Above even mine. There are an only a few people in this world with the power to do something like this. You want to find the source? Narrow down your list of names and begin crossing them off."

Constantine nodded with approval as this was sound advice. He finished his cigarette and went for another one but began to cough. At first it seemed nothing but then he clutched the table and Papa Midnite saw a trickle of blood spill down Constantine's wrist.

He handed him a napkin. "Are you alright?"

Constantine wiped his mouth. "Yeah. Yeah. Something I've been meaning to get checked out."

Papa Midnite was about to reply when the doors opened and in walked the goons he had sent out earlier to retrieve their ghosts next victim. They had a man on their shoulders who was squirming and making useless threats. Curious though was that they also had two other people with sacks over their heads as well. These two weren't squirming at all.

They tossed Mason on the ground in front of Papa Midnite who immediately shouted, "Remove his mask and bindings! He is no prisoner! We are trying to save him!"

Constantine chuckled a bit while the goons rushed to do his bidding. 'Papa's good,' he thought cheerfully. He was wondering about those other bodies though. Wondering who they were and why they weren't moving.

Mason immediately stood up and put some space between himself and the two groups surrounding him. "What the hell is going on here?!" he demanded angrily. "You people have no idea who you're fucking with!"

"Mason Jungers, 30 years old, University of Southern California graduate. Major in business with a few other degrees under your belt. Father's name is Tomas Jungers and mother is-"

"Enough! Who the hell are you people?!" Mason looked frantic.

"If you wanted to creep him out I think you did that well enough with this whole get up and how ya' brought him here, mate." Constantine whispered to Papa Midnite.

"Silence, fool." He snapped back and Constantine leaned and stood up straight as if nothing happened.

"Listen to me, Mason. One of the souls of the men you robbed has returned from the afterlife and is killing off those that wronged him. You're the last one left." Papa Midnite told Mason grimly.

"Wait. What?" Mason looked at everyone laughing for a minute and then it sunk in that this might be serious. "But how? How is this possible?"

"That isn't important." Constantine told him. "All your friends that embezzled with you are dead and you're the last one left, see? Mr. Ghosty is coming after you and we're gonna protect you from it and send the prick on to hell."

Mason looked at Constantine and then Papa Midnight and then back and forth for a while. "Get me the fuck out of here." He said softly at first. "Get me the fuck out of here!" he started to shout repeatedly. "These people are crazy! Help! I've been kidnapped!"

"Can anybody hear him?" Constantine asked Papa Midnite who shook his head in reply. "Good, because that one's got a good set of lungs." The bodies on the ground started to squirm and muffled shouts could be heard. "What's the deal with those two?"

Papa Midnite had ignored the bodies until now, "Who are they?" he demanded.

"A man and woman attacked us when we were bringing him here. They were protected by some strange magic so it took a bit stronger spells to knock them out."

Constantine walked over to the bodies and pulled off the sacks, "Zed?! Chas!?" he turned angrily to Papa Midnite's goons, "You knocked out me best mates!"

"Constantine wait they..." Papa Midnite started to say but was too late.

" **Sleep. Now.** " All the goons fell asleep again. "Lucky they didn't actually do them any harm Papa or things would have been a lot worse."

Papa Midnite fumed, "Don't make idle threats to me, John Constantine." He walked close to Constantine and eyed him. "I am not the one for such things."

"Nor am I the one to forget a slight like this, mate." Constantine hiked his thumb to Chas and Zed who were squirming and mumbling on the ground. Constantine bent down and freed them. "You guys alright?"

"We're fine." Chas told them. "But Mason got away while you two were arguing. We were trying to tell you but our mouths were kind of tied.

Papa Midnite and Constantine turned around to see the front door open and the room empty except for them. "You knocked out my guards and he got away you idiot!" he shouted at Constantine.

"Shout later. You remember where he stays?" Constantine turned hopefully to his friends who immediately let him down. "Dammit." He turned to the sleeping guards. " **Wake up.** " They all awoke and stood to their feet, looking at Constantine angry that he had done that to them again.

"Take us to Mason's home. Now!" Papa Midnite shouted.

* * *

3:45PM

Downtown Los Angeles, California

"Mom I don't know what the hell they were talking about! No I'm not on drugs! I don't know mom I fucking ran okay! I'm packing up my shit and I've already booked my flight! They knew about the Bespin job mom! Everybody is dead! Everybody, mom! I don't fucking know okay please stop asking me what's going on!"

Mason was frantically running around his apartment building tossing items into a suitcase and shouting into his phone. He didn't know who else to call with what he was currently going through so he called his mom and it was proving no help at all. He threw one last shirt in the suitcase then closed it and hoisted it off the bed. He went through the door and into the living room and stopped dead in his tracks. He dropped his phone and suitcase.

"Lane?"

The ghost flew directly inside him and Mason began to shake violently. The phone on the ground next to him was still on and his mother was calling to him, "Mason? Mason are you there? It sounds like you're choking dear?"

His door flew off the hinges and Papa Midnite stalked into the room followed by Constantine, Chas, Zed and two of his men. They quickly noticed Mason and Constantine fell to his knee and lifted Mason's shaking body in his arms.

He closed his eyes and began to whisper in a vaguely echoed voice into Mason's forehead. "Hello? Mason? What is that noise? I'm calling the police!" the phone call finally ended.

Constantine continued to whisper and then leaned away and touched Mason's forehead with his palm. His body stopped shaking and when Constantine pulled his hand away the ghost shrieked as it was dragged from its body.

As if practiced, Papa Midnite stepped up and used his power to take hold of the raging soul. "You have abused the gift I gave you and for that you will be punished."

"Papa! No!" Constantine couldn't move.

Papa Midnite opened his mouth and devoured the ghost adding it to his collection. Constantine looked on angrily and Mason suddenly yanked away from him and stood to his feet. His face was white and he was sweating fiercely. His eyes were so wide they threatened to burst from his head and he continued to step backwards. He was muttering gibberish and moving in a frantic manner but continued to back up and point at them all.

"He's had a nervous breakdown." Zed observed.

"Constantine! The ledge!"

The balcony door had been open and they hadn't noticed. Mason backed up and stepped right out of it. A few more steps and he would tumble over the edge. Everyone shouted objections and ran forward except Papa Midnite.

Constantine reached the door first and stepped out on the balcony just as Mason tumbled backwards over the edge.

He stopped dead in his tracks.

They were on the forty fifth floor. No need to look and see what happened. Instead he silently reached into his trench coat and lit up a cigarette. "Can't seem to win one for-" he doubled over as the coughing hit him so hard he vomited up blood and alcohol. Constantine fell to his knees. He could hear Chas and Zed's voices but couldn't make out what they were saying. It sounded like they were shouting but he couldn't be sure.

He could tell his body was moving from the way his head jerked and arms and legs moved but he couldn't feel his limbs nor the pain from the coughing he was sure he was still doing. What the hell was happening? Was he dying? Not like this.

Then the blackness took him.

* * *

 _He was sitting at a bar now, which was strange because he distinctly remembered being in that bloke's apartment building just a moment ago. The bar was empty except for him and the bartender. In front of him was an empty glass and he noticed that the bar only had one drink, a bottle of blood red liquid marked with a sign for poison._

 _Constantine sat there for a while and found that when he got ready to leave he couldn't get up and when he tried to speak he couldn't speak. A man walked into the bar and sat next to him as if he didn't exist. The man ordered a drink and the bartender poured the man a glass of the blood red poison. The man paid and drank it then fell dead on the floor._

 _'What the bloody hell is going on?' Constantine thought to himself._

 _Another man came in and sat at the bar. He too ordered a glass of the poison and then fell dead. This was followed by a third and fourth man until eventually Constantine had watched nearly twenty men walk into the bar and die from drinking the poison. The bartender never showed emotion and the men never seemed to notice the others that were dead even though their bodies were plain to see. The bottle never grew empty and Constantine sat there and watched it all confused and amazed._

 _The bartender reached for the poison and came to fill Constantine's cup. Up until that moment he had been unable to move but suddenly Constantine could not stop his body from picking up the cup no matter how hard he tried. He fought and screamed and did all that he could but his body lifted the poison and swallowed it then darkness took him again._

"NOOOO!" Constantine woke up screaming with his eyes wide. "No! No! NO!" all he could see was bright lights and he felt several hands on him trying to hold him down. He struggled against them. He wasn't sure what was happening but he remembered that poison and that bar and he felt fear in him unlike anything he had ever felt before. "No! No!"

"Sedate him! Sedate him dammit!"

He felt a sharp sting in his arm and then he slowly lost his ability to move and the lights dimmed and blackness returned.

This time when he woke up his eyes were heavy and his mouth was dry. He tried to move but found himself restrained and then he realized where he was. The hospital. He recognized the constant beeps from the machines that monitored all the bollocks the doctors then wrote down. He began to feel aches and pains in his body and groaned loudly.

"John? John? You up, man?" it was Chas' voice and he was glad to hear it.

"Yeah." Constantine managed to croak out. "Fuck's going on mate? I feel like shit. And what the hell am I doing in a hospital?"

"Yeah. Uh. About that." Chas fell silent and he looked over seeing Zed with eyes puffy from crying and tears still streaming. Before Constantine could say anything else the door opened and a doctor walked in.

"Mr. Constantine are you conscious?" he nodded silently in reply. "Okay. My name's Dr. Kendra Boyd and I'm sorry to have to tell you this but you have stage 4 cancer."


	5. Chapter V

Ordo Ab Chao

Chapter V

* * *

Late at night, local hospital

"Are you listening, Mr. Constantine? I said you have stage 4 cancer…"

The doctor had continued on but Constantine had stopped listening after he first heard cancer. It wasn't that he was surprised to have it, more that it was happening now, now when he was giving his all in an attempt to save the world from whatever madness had been cooked up in the shadows. But that's how life works, isn't it? Dropping more weight on your shoulders when you swear you're already carrying all you can bare.

The pretty doctor by the name of Kendra eventually left the room leaving Constantine alone with his two friends Chas and Zed. Really his only friends left that weren't ghosts already. They had tried offering words of comfort as well but they fell on deaf ears and eventually Constantine simply asked them to leave the room so he could be alone for a while.

As soon as they were gone he had used magic to keep the machines running as though he were still attached to them and then pulled out everything the fools at this hospital had stuck in him. It took a little while but he was up and fully dressed before anyone was the wiser.

Opening the window Constantine saw that he was on the fourth or fifth floor but it was dark out and across the way was a series of buildings with rooftops high enough for him to work a little of his arts. He stepped back a bit and cast a spell that allowed him to walk on air as if it were ground then carefully stepped out of the window. Anyone that had bothered to look up would be treated to the sight of a man in a trench coat walking across the sky.

When he touched down on the rooftop Constantine took one last look back at the hospital and then turned away in search of the nearest place that sold cigarettes.

* * *

Unknown time, unknown place

A cold wet plop smacked him on the face and stirred John Constantine back to consciousness. He tried to sit up but immediately regretted the choice and let his head flop back down on what he assumed was a bed.

He was wrong.

He cracked his head on the concrete and it sobered him up enough to realize where he was and what was happening. Around him were three or four empty bottles of alcohol with another half empty bottle directly within arm's reach. He was in a park under a statue and that wet mess he'd felt was bird crap from the animals perched atop the statue.

"Bloody buzzards," he cursed and wiped the shit from his face with his hand. He burped and this caused the alcohol in his system to reassert its dominance and his world became a spinning blur of color and scenery. He reached for the bottle through the hazy vision, swallowed two large gulps and then let himself hit the ground again.

He could hear the laughter as people passed by him on their way to complete their daily tasks. Children mostly with the occasional voice of an adult using him as an example for why their children should remain in school and off drugs.

"Drugs are bad!" he shouted for no reason at all.

Among the humans were the otherworldly creatures that only he and those like him could see. They too were taunting and mocking him. The great John Constantine reduced to a drunken stupor in the park. The image of all mages who was unable to save anyone in all his years of fighting against the darkness. His mind turned to all those he had failed in his past and it made bile build up in his throat so much so that he turned and vomited right next to where his head was lying on the ground.

The most recent memories of the two brothers he had failed came into his mind followed quickly by the man named Mason Jungers. Constantine had gone to him with all intentions on keeping him alive only to have his death on his hands as well. His use of magic and lack of explanation led to Mason freaking out and falling to his death. Another in the long list of good gone bad he'd been a part of over the years.

Constantine's vision was a blurry swirl of twisted demonic creatures, unaware humans, and bright colors. All of which randomly fluctuated and moved every time he turned his head too fast or burped. Through his hazy glare, he was able to make out the outline of his bottle and lifted his shaky hand to pick it up.

It was right there.

He closed his hand and felt only air.

"What the hell?"

He tried again and only got air.

"Come here you stupid fucking bottle! You can't move! You're a bloody inanimate object!" he slurred his words, mispronouncing them as he cursed the bottle of alcohol over and over.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen..." The voice sent a cold chill down Constantine's spine. He suddenly felt the temperature rising as if he had been dropped into hell without his notice.

His eyes were still on that bottle when he said, "I don't know who ya' beastie but this ain't the time to be tryin' ol' Constantine."

" _ **Ha ha ha ha**_ …" The laugh was colder than the voice. It wasn't a joyful laugh or even one of amusement. Constantine felt fear.

He slowly looked up at the figure standing over him and using magic to straighten his eyesight, saw only a small unassuming man of middle age. The three-piece-suit the man was wearing was impeccable however and Constantine noted it. He shifted his perception deeper than the usual amount it took to see the everyday creatures and that was when a crown of flame exploded over the man's head and a fiery figure of beauty and terror so great Constantine had to look away.

"You're…you're…."

" _ **The First**_ …"

'He's here for me…so soon…' Constantine's mind went back to a banishment that had happened years ago. Some place out in London back when he still had a somewhat decent reputation there.

 _"I said stay out!" Constantine had shouted at the parents of the possessed teenager he was attempting to save. The demon had proven a bit harder to remove and the screams had drawn the parents in, exactly what the demon had wanted._

 _The mother and father stood there for a moment staring at their daughter, clinging to a corner of the roof upside down like a spider. Her head twisted around completely so that her body was upside down but her head was facing the right way up. Her mother gasped, covering her mouth and her father fell to his knees crying out._

 _"I said get out!"_

 _Too late._

 _The demon lunged from the roof tackling the mother and biting down into her neck, ripping away a large chunk of flesh from the throat. Blood almost exploded from the wound and splashed onto her son who drank it up like water in a desert. The mother tumbled backward trying to stop the flow of her life essence with her hands but it wouldn't help. The father cried out again and the demon advanced on him but Constantine had set up protections by then and the creature was repelled when it tried to attack so it turned its attention to Constantine._

 _When it reached him it found similar protections and stopped in its tracks to sniff at its prey."…Constantine…John Constantine…."_

 _Now curious and slightly worried that this demon knew his name, Constantine lashed out with a spell of entrapment and gripped the possessed teen's body in his hold. "How do you know my name, mate?" the demon inside resisted so Constantine tightened his hold. "Oi, I asked you a fucking question." He invoked more dominance._

 _The demon clearly yielded, "…it's whispered in circles of privilege…"_

 _"What's said about it?"_

 _The demons resisted again and this made Constantine even more curious and angry. He began to inflict harm onto the demon and it cried out in pain. "…that yours is the only soul he will come to collect himself…"_

 _"He?"_

 _"Stop it! You're hurting my child!" the father screamed from the floor. He was of course ignored._

 _"Who is he?!" Constantine demanded._

 _"...The First of the Fallen…"_

That memory made him chuckle a little at first before giving in to full out laughter. The laughter continued until Constantine began to choke and then he vomited all over the ground. The First took a step back and made a face.

" _ **Enough of this**_." With a wave of his hand, Constantine instantly sobered up.

Constantine got to his feet and brushed himself off. "Neat trick, mate." He was nervous and hoped his shaking wasn't visible.

" _ **You are right to be afraid.**_ " The First said. " _ **But I am not here to claim your soul. Not this day**_."

Constantine visibly relaxed but still stayed a good distance away. He was using his arts to make sure that he didn't have to look upon the beings true form again as it was too much for his mortal eyes to behold. Just the memory of it alone was enough to make his eyes water. "Then why are you here?" he finally got the courage to ask.

" _ **To see you in in the flesh. I've heard so much about you over the years**_."

Constantine scoffed. "I bet you have. Straight from the mouths of your little minions I sent burning back to you." He started patting his pockets for his pack of cigarettes. The First produced a cigarette out of thin air, "Do I look dumb to you?" ignoring the offer.

" _ **Yes, you do. That, however, is beside the point. You're already going to die, Constantine. I don't need to do anything else but wait**_." The First held the cigarette out and a small smile spread across the human visage he was using.

Constantine took it and gave it a sniff before lighting it up.

" _ **You know how things work, John. May I call you John**_?" the First folded his arms behind his back and then began to walk without looking to see if Constantine was following him.

"Yeah, mate I know how things work. Give and take and all that. Rules and regulations, power struggles and coups." Constantine noticed that everyone around them had suddenly been frozen in place. The entire city, birds, trees, trash blowing in the wind. Even the demonic creatures were frozen in place. The First was a being of great power.

" _ **You've done good work in my eyes on numerous occasions. Many times you send my competitions minions back and that is always a good thing. Why just recently you sent me those nice brothers to play with. What were their names**_?" the First made a thoughtful face. "T _ **he Parish brothers I believe. Yes. The Priest, oh how he fought. I take great pleasure in breaking the religious who end up in my realm. They can never accept that God would abandon them to such a fate**_." He laughed.

"Make your point and leave me be," Constantine said rudely. "You'll have time enough to torture me when I get there."

The First eyed him like a lion eyes a gazelle. " _ **Your suffering will be legendary, John. A thing to make what I put Hitler through look like kindness on my part. Oh how succulent and sweet a victory it will be to finally feast**_..." he leaned in so close Constantine could smell the sulfur in his breath. "... _ **on**_ _ **your**_ _soul_..." he stood up and smiled the bloodcurdling way only a prince of darkness could. " _ **Goodbye for now**_." Before he vanished, The First waved his hand and instantly restored the alcohol back into Constantine's system.

The feeling of instantly becoming drunk made Constantine retch several times so that his stomach greatly pained him when he finished and blood was mixed in with the vomit. He collapsed down onto some surprisingly soft grass and closed his eyes in an attempt to make the world stop spinning. It did nothing for a while and then blackness overcame his senses and he was lost in it.

* * *

Much time later

He felt cold hands slap him on the face, softly at first but then with a bit more force. He struggled and regained some consciousness but his head was ringing badly and his vision was blurred. He could hear what sounded like a man's voice repeating his name.

Constantine…

Constantine…

John Constantine…

He felt something coming up and prepared to vomit but was able to keep it in for a bit longer.

He felt a hand grip his wrist, "Let help you up." A man with an unfamiliar voice said. Constantine felt the world move and he was hoisted up to his feet by someone with surprising strength. He immediately doubled over to rest his elbows on his knees so things would stop spinning and straighten out.

"Bloody hangover..." Constantine grumbled to nobody in particular. He started to feel a bit better, "Look, mate, thanks for the help and everything but I'm fine now so I'm just gonna be on me- Constantine stood upright and looked at the man who had helped him and jumped back several steps.

The man had no face.


	6. Chapter VI

Ordo Ab Chao

Chapter VI

* * *

Unknown time, unknown place

"What the hell?!" Constantine sprang to his feet so fast it made his head spin and he stumbled to the left.

"Easy. Easy," the faceless man said even though he had no mouth.

Constantine gripped his head trying to steady his mind so he could hex this faceless demon into oblivion.

A fit of coughing chose now to cripple him, bringing Constantine to his knees and giving up several spurts of blood. 'It's getting worse.' He could feel it inside him. The cancer was eating his insides.

"You're in bad shape."

"Not bad as you, mate. You've got no face." Constantine's vision blurred.

"This?" the three men all pointed at their faces. "This is a mask. Rest assured, John Constantine, I've got a face."

"Who the hell are you?"

"Name's not important. You can call me Question."

"Question huh?" Constantine stood up and felt somewhat himself again. He lashed out at the man's mind but was rebounded by a magical barrier.

"Not that easy." Question shook his finger. "I've got some knowledge of the magical myself."

"Okay then Mr. Question, what the fuck do you want with me?" Constantine began to brush the puke and blood off his clothing but only smeared and made it worse. It was then that he looked around and remembered what had happened and where had been. He wasn't in the park under the statue anymore but now in a empty room that was likely in an abandoned building.

"Wondering what happened and how you got here?" Question stated the obvious.

"Did you see him?" Constantine looked at Question.

"The First? No. I'd been looking for you for a while now actually. Finally found you after you left the hospital. Followed you here and then it got strange." Question paused. "I sensed something powerful for a split second and I know some powerful magic was used but I don't remember anything. Then I found you passed out and brought you here."

"The First froze everyone so we could chat." Constantine informed Question and didn't know why. "Evil Bugger came to ruffle my feathers as if cancer hadn't done that enough already. Bastard."

"Cancer, huh? Tough break." Question's voice didn't sound much concerned.

"What do you want with me?" Constantine asked in an annoyed voice.

"I was on the trail of my latest case when I caught a potential informant and proceeded to question him. Ended up being hit with more magic then someone like him should be capable of. That is to say any at all. I-"

"Some demon has possessed them or some such nonsense and you've come to ol' John Constantine for help putting the fuckers back down in the pit, yeah?" Constantine didn't let Question answer. "No. I'm done with that. Didn't you hear me? Didn't you see the blood?" he gestured to the blood on the ground where he had coughed it up. "I'm dyin' , mate! I've got bloody cancer and it's eatin' me up as we speak! To top it all off bloody Satan himself pops up to tell me how stiff his hard on is and how he can't wait to bugger me with it for eternity! I'm not taking any damned case! I'm going to drink and smoke until the red gates take me!" Constantine turned the collar on his trench coat and turned to leave the room, unsure of where the exit was.

"They're taking children."

Constantine stopped in the doorway.

"I found a basement full of bodies, Constantine. Mutilated. Carved up. Pieces missing. They're taking children and doing god knows what to them and we're the only two people that know about it."

* * *

Denny's diner, Los Angeles 6:00pm

"Where do you think he went?" Zed just stared at her food.

"Who knows." Chas munched more pancakes. "Probably went to go get more cigarettes."

Zed looked at him. "He wouldn't."

"You don't know John then." Chas said simply and that made Zed lower her head again. "Give him some time. He'll come back around."

"This is cancer, Chas. This isn't something he can wave a magical spell at or make some back end deal to get out of." The worry was apparent in Zed's voice and on her face.

Chas didn't say anything for a while. "I just found out one of my best friends in the world is dyin' of cancer, Zed." He stared daggers at her. "And then he just goes off and doesn't say a damn thing. I know what's at stake here, Zed. Not just with John but with all of us and whatever is messing up magic."

Zed shut down feeling bad but knowing that Chas was right. "We can't help John but we can help people affected by this crazy magical stuff though."

Chas brightened up. "Yeah. Yeah, that sounds good but how? Where would we even start."

Zed had no idea and her shoulders fell. "I don't know but we'll think of something, Chas. I'll be back in a few." She got up to use the restroom and walked down the aisle. A little boy was seated with his mother and father playing with a toy he'd won from a mechanical arm machine. The toy fell over just as Zed walked passed and she casually reached down to pick it up.

 _She saw the family driving home and pulling into their home. The porch light was off and the neighborhood was dark and quiet. It was very strange and Zed felt an evil presence._

 _She saw figures swoop in on the family and strike the parents down then snatch up the child._

 _They figures now were in a room of esoteric design with a raised table in the middle of the room surrounded by pentagrams and other etchings. The boy was laid naked on the table and about to be sacrificed when the figures hesitated and turned. Then Zed saw him._

 _Constantine enraged and fighting through the figures with a man that had no face._

She came back to reality and shook her head to regain composure. "Sorry, sweetie." She handed the toy back to the boy and went to her table with Chas.

"What's wrong?" Chas finished his drink and sighed from satisfaction.

"I just saw that kid getting kidnapped by some psycho cultists."

"Great. We can start with stopping them!" Chas got excited.

"No. No, Chas I think we need to let this happen."

Chas was confused. "Let it happen? But why would we let the kid get kidnapped?"

"Because it's going to lead us to John."

* * *

unknown time, unknown location

Constantine looked at the large subway sandwich that the Question had given him and then took a big bite. He was starving and had no idea how this faceless man acquired the food but it really didn't matter. "So tell me what you know." he managed between mouthfuls.

They were still in the same warehouse and had been chatting up a bit about what was going on in magic. Constantine always got the conversation going as it was a way to learn details about a person without them even knowing. From what they spoke of he had learned that this Question fellow dabbled in some shaman magics and could sense the change on a small level but was into some sort of espionage and conspiracy chasing.

Not Constantine's cup of tea at all but he knew two things 1) that he was going to die 2) that he was going to make sure every single one of those pedophile psychos died before him.

"I've been chasing the kidnapping case across several states and all the info so far has led me to here. Wherever they are in Los Angeles is the headquarters of a national kidnapping ring. They use these kids for horrible things. I've been shutting them down as I can come across them so many have fled here." Question didn't eat or drink just seemed to watch Constantine.

"Where's your latest clue gonna lead us?" Constantine opened the water bottle and drained half it in a few gulps.

"To a supposed high ranking member of the group that runs everything. I've got an address and a name." Question reached inside his trench coat and produced a small slip of paper that he handed to Constantine.

"Michael Gordon Jr?" Constantine made a face. "Isn't he some sort of athlete or something?"

"That's Michael Jordan."

"Ah, I see. Well then my faceless companion! Let's go pay this bugger a visit shall we?" Constantine stood up feeling more refreshed then before.

* * *

Beverly Hills, Ca 9:00pm

They had followed the family ever since leaving the restaurant they were in. The pursuit had led them to the middle areas of Beverly Hills where the houses were large and expensive. The street was relatively empty and the street lights cast an eerie glow about the neighborhood.

The family was driving their sport utility vehicle up into their driveway so Chas pulled over and parked a few houses down from them and they sat there. "So this is it?" he asked Zed.

"Yeah. This is the house from my vision." She looked eager and yet pensive.

An awkward silence filled the rental vehicle they were sitting in. The two of them had a little argument about if they should allow the child to be kidnapped or not. Not to mention the fact that his parents were also going to be murdered in front of him.

And for what? So they could find Constantine? Was so much sacrifice worth it?

Chas found himself spiraling back into that same train of thought that he'd had during they argument earlier and drew himself from it by focusing on the family. They were out of the van and now walking happily up their pathway to their front door.

Then he saw the figures emerge from the shadows like demons in the night.

"Fuck this." Chas reached beside his seat and yanked a baseball bat free. It said 'Slugger' on it.

Her friend was out of the car before she knew what was happening. "Chas! Wait!" Zed rushed after him.

"Who the hell are you?" the husband demanded from the four hooded figures that stalked towards his family. He raised his arms over his wife and son in a protective manner. "I said who are you?!"

One of the figures raised a hand and brandished a gun with a silencer on it.

The mother yelped and the son began to cry while the father held up one hand in a peaceful way. "Okay. Okay. Calm down. We've got money in the house just please don't hurt my family."

"We don't want your money."

"We want him." One of the figures pointed to the boy.

"You can't have him!" Chas sprang up from around the family's van and cracked the nearest person in the head with the baseball bat then engaged another.

"Run!" Zed screamed at the family. "Run!"

The mother lifted her son and the family began to spring across the lawn. "The boy must not escape!" The figure with the gun pointed and opened fire hitting the father three times in the back.

"Robert!" the wife tripped and fell.

"No!" Chas struck out at the one he was fighting with and missed then the third came up beside him with a knife. "Alright then. Zed! Save the boy!" he leapt at the knife wielding figure with a grunt and swung for the fences.

The figure with the gun was walking towards the crying mother and child but Zed sprang onto his back and tackled him to the ground. "Get out of here! Now!" she shouted and tried to pound onto the back of the figures head.

With shocking strength the figure tossed Zed hard onto her side knocking the wind out of her. Before she could react he then smacked her across the head with the butt of the pistol and knocked her out cold. Without another word he aimed and fired again clipping the mother in both her legs. Another two shots to the back ended her screaming and then the child was hit across the head and knocked out.

When the figure turned back his two companions had subdued Chas and had him unconscious on the ground with several stab wounds visible.

"What do we do with them?" one asked.

"Bring them. He'll want to question them after what happened here."

"And him?" Another motioned to their unconscious comrade.

The figure carrying the boy shot the fourth man several times then tossed the pistol down near his hand. "Let's go."

* * *

Beverly Hills, CA 9:30pm

The home was beautiful and elegant and screamed expensive. Pure white walls without a single blemish or spot, priceless artwork hung along the walls with statues and vases here and there. There were white fur carpets from an animal not entirely legal to hunt and an actual fireplace even though they were outlawed in Los Angeles County.

A soft melody was playing on a crisp sounding system and blended perfectly with the constant and pleasant sound of the fire burning. A man was dressed in a black tuxedo with the shirt half unbuttoned and a glass of wine in his hand. Smiling at him was a beautiful woman in a black dress of her own with her beautiful legs showing up to the thigh.

Their shoes were placed away from the fire and they both sipped wine and enjoyed the life of being rich. "Are you enjoying yourself my dear?" the man asked her.

"Oh yes. Quite so." she looked at the fire. "But when will the fun you promised me start?"

The man smiled at her but it was missing any sign of joy or happiness in it. The smile was emotionless and cold. "We'll leave for that in thirty minutes my dear. Believe me, it will be well worth the wait."

"I hope so because we had a hell of a time finding this place!"

The man and the woman quickly turned to see two men standing in the doorway, one of whom had no face. The woman shrieked and dropped her wine spilling it onto the carpet. Both of them jumped to their feet. "Who the hell are you?"

"This bloke here's called the Question." Constantine lit up a cigarette. "And me? I'm the guy that's gonna be asking the questions from now on yeah?"

The man dropped his wine and reached for the poker that was next to his fireplace. Constantine held up his hand and froze the man in place. "Oh come on now mate. Two strange men break in your house uninvited and the first thing you do is try to kill 'em?" Constantine chuckled.

"You talk too much." Question grumbled to Constantine and approached the man. As he did the woman lashed out and tried punch him in the face but Question easily countered and knocked her unconscious with a particularly nasty blow.

"Sheesh. Packed a little heat on that one didn't we?" Constantine looked at the snoring woman.

Question ignored him. He walked right up into the man's face, "Your name is Michael Gordon Jr. and you're going to take us to your little secret meeting tonight. Understood?"

"I...I can't...they...they'll kill me..."

Constantine made fire appear around his free hand. "What makes you think we won't?"

"Shit," Michael swore and looked away from the fire. "I knew this would happen."

"What do you mean?" Question asked.

"I knew somebody like you would come for us if we kept doing what we're doing down there." Michael explained.

"What exactly is going on in your sick little cult mate?" Constantine asked and Michael swallowed and began to explain.

* * *

Unknown time, unknown location

Zed was tossed back to some form of consciousness by a jolting that made her hit her head. She was still dizzy and her vision was blurred but she could feel the vibrations of a car and from the constant tossing she endured she could tell that's where she was. It was dark and she couldn't see anything but could hear voices. The replying voice sounded as if it were talking through a speakerphone.

"...they just popped up and killed Tim..."

"...no idea how they tracked you...?"

"...not a clue. They aren't cops though, that's for sure..."

"...what should we do with 'em...?"

"...they know too much...bring them..."

The vehicle jolted again and Zed hit her head a second time. It knocked her out again before she could hear the rest.

When she awoke this time it was because of the sound of horrific screams. Screams filled with terror and agony that would sicken anyone with a soul. She tried to stand but found her ankles chained to the wall with Chas unconscious nearby. There was very little light in the room, just a few torches hung around the wall displaying the room was a large circle of some kind.

"Chas! Chas wake up!" Zed half-whispered and half-shouted at her partner. "We've been kidnapped again! Chas! Chas!"

More screams echoed throughout the room and it made Zed's skin crawl. Something evil was going on in here and she didn't know what it was and wasn't sure she wanted to know. The hair on her arm stood on end and a stone doorway opened in the side of the room unleashing a wave of light with it.

Slowly the same hooded figures she had seen in her vision began to file into the room chanting eerily and carrying torches. They spread out along the walls and took up positions then one came in carrying a larger torch. His robe was red while the others were black and behind him came two more men with torches.

Now Zed could see that in the middle of the room was a platform with an altar raised in the midst of it. The alter was covered in blood as was the entire platform. She gagged and had to force herself not to throw up as she began to realize that this entire room was awash with blood and guts.

The chanting turned strange as the figures began to sway and then all stopped. "Bring in the child!" the white robed figure demanded.

Two men walked into the room carrying a small girl with them. The girl kicked and screamed and tried her hardest but could not break free. The room fell silent as the girl was tied down to the alter.

"NO! NO!" Zed shouted so loud that Chas was stirred back to consciousness. The white robbed figure was handed a large blade that curved at the tip.

He raised it high.

"NO!" Both Zed and Chas pleaded.

" _Offero tibi sacrificium daret potestatem_!"

He drove the blade down with so much force that blood spurted out all over his robe and he tossed his head back with arms held wide open. All of the fanatics had their heads raised skyward and arms out as if about to receive a blessing but nothing happened.

"You maniacs! You killed her you damned psychos!" Zed was crying as the innocent child's blood pooled around the floor.

"Bring in the boy!" the bloodied leader commanded.

Now the two figures entered with the boy they had been trying to save in tow. Two other men lifted the girl's body and tossed it aside as if it were nothing. The boy was frightened and screaming at the top of his lungs but this seemed to excite the figures. Zed noticed a few were grabbing and rubbing at their genitals. She vomited again.

The boy was placed in the same position as the girl before him, forced to lie in her blood and excrement. Again the white robed figure raised his knife, " _Offero tibi sacrificium daret potestatem_!"

A loud thumping sound was heard then the doorway burst open and two guardsmen flew in and landed hard on the ground. The third was stumbling backwards shouting, "Intruder! Intruder!" Zed looked up through her teary eyes and saw her vision playing out.

Constantine was tearing through with a look of pure anger and hate on his face. By his side was the faceless man punching and kicking those that came his way.

The leader of the cult stood strong with his blade in his hand. "To me!" he bellowed and six of the cultists ran up the platform to him while the remaining five stood to battle Constantine.

"You blokes must not know who I am then." Constantine wiped his nose. "Give us a minute, yeah?" he reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette and lighter. "Nothin' like a smoke before a fight. Or after. Or during..." he tossed the lighter at the cultists feet and flames burst from the ground engulfing them.

The remaining six cowered back in fear as they watched their companions roasted alive by the magical flames. "You lot want to give up now or shall we continue?"

The cult leader laughed and sliced the neck of the nearest cult member.

"Bloody hell..." Constantine looked at Question who was 'staring' at the scene unfolding before them.

The leader sliced each throat one by one until all six of the men were dead and then he raised his hands high and Constantine realize what was going on. "We've got to kill him! Now!"

The white robed cultist stabbed the child in the gut and twisted the blade, leaving it inside the now dead innocent. " _Da mihi potestatem, et sanguis meus anima mea_!"

"No!" They were too late. The blood in the room pulsed once then twice and a force tossed both Constantine and Question backward and into the wall. The blood began to churn and swirl and pool around the cult leader's feet, slowly covering his body.

"Not what I intended but it will do to eliminate you!" the leader cried out maniacally.

Constantine stirred back to consciousness and shook Question. "You good there, buddy?" the faceless spy groaned and began to move. "Right then. Back at it." Constantine stood up and saw Zed and Chas chained to the other side of the wall.

"John! Over here!" In the rush of battle Constantine hadn't heard their shouting before. Now the situation was ten times worse. He didn't care how they ended up here just that they were safe and that this blood magic was stopped.

"Question, those two over there are my best mates. Get them out of here and I'll owe you one." Question nodded and ran over to the captives.

"Where is your face?" Chas demanded.

"Clearly not where it should be." Question replied and knelt down next to Zed. He produced a small circular object about the size of a quarter and pressed on it. A red laser shot out and began to cut right through the chains.

Zed had a shocked look on her face. "A useful tool for numerous situations." Question replied to her unasked query. It took a moment or two to free them both but by that time the blood magic was fully setting in and Zed could see the horror Constantine was facing.

The cult leader was transformed by the blood magic into a twisted creature whose blood-colored skin seemed to flow and move across its jagged and ripped body, blending with the bits and pieces of the white robe. The human was now deformed and grotesque with mismatched length arms and feet along with elongated midsection and a massive head that hard torn free from the hood of the robe.

Bulging yellow eyes stared at Constantine with bloodthirsty rage. "Go! Now!" Question pushed Chas and Zed through the door and closed it. "What the hell is that?!" he rushed next to Constantine.

"Twisted blood magic." Constantine was staring at the dead bodies of the children with a blank and pained expression. "Distract it."

Question pulled a pistol from his trench coat and opened fire at the still growing hybrid creature.

Without looking Constantine knelt down and began to draw out pentagrams and esoteric designs in the blood while mumbling. He drew smaller designs on both his hands forehead and chest.

"... _ **we know you**_..." the hulking mess of human and demon whispered. Its voice echoed in itself with a deeper more sinister tone.

"Yeah I've had about enough of you bloody demons and your knowing me." Constantine growled with clinched fists. "I'm John fucking Constantine! My soul is cursed and The First himself is coming for it!"

"... ** _Y_** _ **es! Yes! Your rage feeds us.**_.." the creature began to twist and pulse.

'Rage demon then? Thanks for identifying yourself.' Constantine closed his eyes and used a trick of his to refresh his body in cooling magic and calm his anger.

"... _ **Whaat**_...?!" The demon lashed out with its odd-shaped right arm and Constantine held his hands up and stopped the arm in midair. "... _ **Impossible**_...!"

Constantine grinned and snapped the portion of the arm with immense strength. The demon recoiled and fell onto its back. Question reloaded his pistol and shot the exposed arm causing more pain.

"I could've just banished ya' back and normally I would have." Constantine stalked the wounded demon. "But I've had a particularly bad week and you had to come along and pull that mess with those kids."

"... _ **W**_ _ **ait! Wait! We can give information.**_.."

Question shouted, "What can you possibly know?" so Constantine paused.

"... _ **E**_ _ **verything the human host knows**_..."

"Tell me something quick then." Constantine snapped.

"... _ **T**_ _ **here is a name. A powerful magician who is at the center of all this**_..."

Constantine lashed out and smacked the demon with a burst of magic that made it howl in pain. "Get to the bloody point."

"... _ **Felix Faust.**_.."

'Shit.' Constantine thought and glanced at Question. 'Damn him for not having a face. Can't tell what his reaction is.' he returned concentration to the bleeding abomination. That was all the information he needed from this monster. "Thanks for the help."

"... _ **WAIT! WA-**_

Constantine concentrated and closed his eyes, " _Mitteret ad cisternam malis animam et offeres super eo_!"

The demonic hybrid was hit with a pulse and began to cry out in pain as the grotesque skin on its body began to disintegrate slowly. "Looks painful, love." Constantine wiped the markings off his hands and body.

"What did you do to him?" Question holstered his pistol and stood beside Constantine to watch.

"Slow burn, mate. Painful little trick I learned way back when." Constantine lit up a cigarette.

"Cancer doesn't stop you does it?"

"Already on my way out, remember?"

"...I...I didn't ask for this..." The demon had mostly burned away and all that remained was what was left of the cultist leader. He lie on his back surrounded by blood with vacant eyes staring up at the ceiling. His flesh was disintegrating from his feet upward but he stopped screaming. "...never wanted this..."

"You were the leader of a pedophile kidnapping ring!" Question shouted angrily.

"...the demon...controlled me..." his breathing was labored and hard. Each word was a struggle for him to speak. "...Have a family...kids...the demon possessed me...killed them...built this..."

Constantine and Question just listened to the sad tale in silence realizing now what the full story was. This man was an innocent like so many others Constantine had come across on what would be his final mission. So many people were falling victim to things that shouldn't be happening but were because the rules were being bent and disregarded.

The demon had possessed his mind and used him to sacrifice enough to bring part of its physical form to this world. A thing that shouldn't have happened in a thousand years but yet he'd witnessed it. This dying sap's last words confirmed it.

Whatever was going on Constantine decided one thing as he watched the cult leader's body completely disintegrate before him.

He was going to find Felix Faust and he was going to kill him.


	7. Chapter VII

Ordo Ab Chao

Chapter VII

* * *

Question's safehouse, Koreatown 4:00pm

"This is some work you've done here, mate." Constantine complimented his faceless friend. He was looking at a wall decorated with dozens of pictures, strings stretching from one to another, post-it notes dotted here and there and pins holding random pieces of evidence collected. It was everything that Question had gathered on the pedophile ring they had just eradicated.

Question walked up beside him, "I thought I was just chasing the guys we took down," he said gruffly. "I had no idea the rabbit hole went deeper."

"The hole always goes deeper." Constantine replied. "As the actress said to the bishop."

"Tell me about Felix Faust." Question folded his arms.

Zed and Chas walked in at that moment. After leaving the site of their latest battle, Question had led them all to one of his safe houses. It was in a rundown part of Koreatown, an area of Los Angeles that was predominantly inhabited by Korean people as well as a blend of Hispanics and other Asian cultures. Constantine understood the need for such a filthy location, people weren't likely to come to a place like this looking for anything. A perfect hiding place really.

The apartment was sparsely decorated with only a single couch, an empty fridge, a bed that had clearly seen better days and a massive amount of conspiracy documents and evidence.

Zed and Chas had been to get food for everyone and once they settled down Constantine spoke, "Never met the bloke myself but ever since I first got into this magic thing I've heard whispers of his name. Supposed to be immortal and probably an unmatched practitioner of the dark arts. I don't know which is rumor and which is true. One thing is certain though, the bugger is powerful and renowned."

"Could it really be one man causing all this?" Zed asked.

"With the right tools and access anything is possible, love. Anything." Constantine took his food and began to dig in.

They all looked at Question and he held up his hand, "I'll eat later. Right now I'm more concerned with this Felix Faust and how we're going to stop him." He turned his faceless head to Constantine.

"I don't know." Zed and Chas looked shocked.

Question just turned back to his evidence wall. "Then it's back to the basics. Hit the streets, gather the clues and make the connections." He sounded almost excited while saying this. "There has to be something we're not seeing. There is always more then one person running things."

"More than one person running things..." Constantine stared ahead blankly.

"What is it, John? You got something?" Chas asked.

"No. Not for the Faust problem but for something else, yeah." Constantine started towards the door. "Question, you said you've got some shaman talents yeah? See what leads you can dig up. Chas, Zed you two rest up and wait for me to get back."

"Where are you going, John?" Zed stood up."

Constantine opened the door. "I've got a few deals to make."

* * *

Koreatown, California 6:00pm

"I can't read anything or understand anyone," Zed complained, folding her arms in frustration. She and Chas had decided to go walk around and site see since John and Question both had left them.

"I know why they call it Koreatown now." Chas mumbled. Everything was in Korean. The signs, the restaurant menus and the language that was being spoken. Even the non-Koreans that they bumped into had some grasp of the language and were able to get around better.

They wandered around for a while trying random foods and having horrific attempts at conversations with the Korean and Latino inhabitants of the area. They ended up at a doughnut shop not far from where their journey began and decided to relax inside. Doughnuts were simple enough and one could make orders without worrying about the language barrier that had been hassling them all day.

They ate some snacks and relaxed for thirty or so minutes when a small man walked into the doughnut shop. Nothing about him was out of the ordinary or special at all but Zed got a strange vibe as soon as he entered and it grew stronger the longer he stayed. He was sweating but that wasn't uncommon in the California heat.

The man ordered a ridiculous amount of doughnuts, nearly clearing out the shop entirely, then paid with crumbled bills that looked roughly attained and left.

"Something wrong?" Chas munched the remains of his last doughnut.

"That man. There was something really off about him." Zed tried to shrug it off but couldn't.

"Like normal American off or demon off?"

"I'm not sure." she admitted.

Chas swallowed and smiled a little, "Want to follow him anyway?"

* * *

Unknown time, Unknown location

The room was barely lit by a few candles that were placed in seemingly random locations. The candle light cast eerie shadows all around the room that seemed to have no doors or windows. Around the wall were markings of esoteric design, half-hidden by the shadows but powerful nonetheless. They were everywhere, on the walls, the floors and even the roof top. Some written in chalk, others in a crimson-colored liquid that was likely blood.

In the midst of it all stood John Constantine, naked down to the undies and covered from head to toe in designs similar to those around the room he was in. A cigarette hung from his lips as he mumbled to himself while working. This was probably the craziest idea he'd ever come up with in his entire life, so much so that he didn't mention it to anyone after it came to him. They would not approve of course.

A deal like what he was planning to make was the stuff legendary foolishness is made of but what difference did it make? Every hour that passed he felt death inching closer and closer to him and there was nothing he could do about it. Why shouldn't he try this? His soul was damned anyway! The First had already confirmed that.

Everything was done and Constantine stood up to survey the markings and ancient Latin phrases he had written to insure they were all correct. There was no room for mistakes with what he was about to do. Finding that everything was complete he set up the final piece of the puzzle. A small empty bucket was placed inside one of the circles inside it sat a candle burning in its stand.

Seeing no other excuse to waste time he reached down and lifted a sack that was moving slightly. Inside the sack was a small kitten that purred a little. "Sorry about this mate." Constantine produced a knife and slit the kitten's neck allowing the blood to pour down into the bucket being careful not to put out the flame of the candle.

" _Et sacrificium, quod a Domino, perduci ad infernum. Venite ad me infernum Dominus! Invito me anima mea!_ "

An invisible pulse shot through the room and pushed Constantine back a step. The blood in the bucket began to vibrate and ripple.

" _Et sacrificium, quod a Domino, perduci ad infernum. Venite ad me infernum Dominus! Invito me anima mea!_ "

Constantine screamed the words over and over again until he was out of breath. Suddenly, without warning the small flame from the candle exploded upward and spread out along the length of the room. Inside the flames Constantine could see Hell in all its terrifying glory. He could hear the screams, see the souls burning, smell the sulfur and rotting flesh. He could see the demons feasting on innocents and suffering. The tortures, the punishments, it was almost too much for him but he couldn't look away.

Then he saw the blackened figure stepped right through the flaming portal on the roof and appeared floating in between the portal and the bucket of blood.

" _ **...John Constantine...You rang...**_?" The pleasure and excitement in the demon's voice was barely hidden. Constantine wanted nothing more then to try and kill this monster but that would serve no purpose and much to his displeasure he needed to make a deal with this creature who just so happened to be one of the three Lords of Hell.

* * *

Koreatown, California 7:00pm

The small man had so far done nothing expressly suspicious but he'd eaten all of the food he'd ordered earlier, enough for 5 people, then went into the nearest place that sold food and purchased another excessive amount.

"Well, there's definitely something strange going on," Chas commented as they followed the man down another street. "This guy's put away more food in an hour then I can in a week or two."

"I wonder what's going on?" Zed wondered.

"Hunger demon most likely." Chas replied. "Probably got out and possessed this poor sap recently."

"Should we call John or Question?"

"No need to bother them. They're both chasing bigger leads anyway. I've handled hunger demons before by myself. They're pushovers." Chas puffed his chest out with much bravado but Zed wasn't convinced.

The man hadn't noticed a thing so far and seemed content to continue walking and eating exorbitant amounts of food that no man his size should be able to consume. Chas and Zed followed him in silence for a while and he led them past a few business and turned into an alleyway.

"Hold on. Let's give him a little head start so we don't look suspicious." Chas stopped Zed a moment and then they continued into the alleyway.

"Where'd he go?!" Zed jogged forward a little and looked around. "He's gone!" the alley was a dead end and completely empty save for a dumpster and some random trash.

Chas put his hands on his hips. "Well I'll- his eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed face down into the ground.

"Chas!" Zed shouted.

The man was behind Chas gripping a large chunk of wood. "...it isn't nice to spy on people..." his voice echoed in a demonic way and he grinned while inching closer to the defenseless Zed.

* * *

Unknown time, Unknown location

Steam poured from Constantine's body and the air reeked of sulfur and burning. It was enough to drive any normal, sane man to the point of vomiting but Constantine held it in.

"This has to be done," he kept telling himself.

He struggled to his feet and began preparing for the second part of his plan. So far everything had gone as he had hoped and although he was drained physically he was on the way to hopefully securing himself a place among the living for a bit longer.

It took him longer to reset all the symbols and markings that had been messed up during his previous conversation but he eventually got it done and again stood over the bucket with the candle. He reluctantly produced another small kitten from a sack and proceeded to slit it's throat like the last one.

" _Tertio hoc vocare immolo Domino inferni. Venite ad me infernum Dominus! Invito me anima mea!_ " he shouted repeatedly like before.

Another flaming portal was ripped open in the roof unleashing the noxious sulfuric gases and pained human screams into the room. This time Constantine could feel the heat from the portal as the creature passed through and floated before him.

" _ **...why have you summoned me petty magus...?**_ "

Constantine lit up a cigarette. "I'm trying to sell my soul to you, mate. I've got a deal for you." He grinned.

The creature remained silent for a moment. " _ **...why would you do this ? What do you gain...?**_ "

"Don't know if word reached you down there yet but I'm on death's doorstep and no way out of it this time. Damned cancer is killing me quicker than an orgy with AIDS infested hookers." seeing that his humor was lost on the Hell Lord Constantine continued, "I've got an important case that needs solving so you guarantee me that I'll live long enough to see this case through and I'll sell ya' my soul. Easy as pie."

The Hell Lord floated silently, thoughtful of his response. Constantine noted that this creature was much different from The First or the other Hell Lord he'd recently met with. " _ **...until t**_ _ **he case is solved...?**_ "

Constantine had to fight back his grin. He'd done it. The creature was in his pockets. "That's right, mate. Until the case is solved."

* * *

A really foul-smelling place, unknown time

Zed's nostrils were assaulted by the powerful odor of rotting food and dead flesh. She sat up quickly and covered her nose then looked around. 'This is like the third damn time we've been kidnapped! I hate California!' she thought to herself while trying to look around.

She was in a dimly lit room and couldn't make out many details because the stench was causing her eyes to water furiously. She wiped them on her sleeve, "Chas! Chas!" she called out.

Zed heard some groans and then the sounds of shuffling. "Yeah...yeah I'm alive. Where the hell are we." Chas rubbed the back of his head. "And what the hell happened?"

"We got kidnapped. Again," Zed informed him. "Hungry Korean demon whacked you with a piece of wood and then got me too."

"How the hell did that little bastard carry us both here by himself?" Chas looked around. "Wherever here is."

" _ **...I didn't...**_ " a voice spoke from the darkness. Bright lights came on and Zed immediately screamed at the top of her lungs.

All around them were the remains of bodies and tossed away food. The bodies had bite marks and were missing chunks of flesh here and there as if they had been chewed on for days. The stench was now unbearable and Zed vomited to the right of her.

" _ **...Mmmm...I'll use that to season your skin...**_ "

Chas used the wall to stabilize himself then stood to his feet. "You're not eating us without a fight." He reached down and picked up a jagged thighbone gripping it like a sword. "And I've taken down hunger demon before so you better bring it!"

" _ **...hahahaha...**_ " The man's teeth began to grow to abnormal length and his jaw jutted out until his face looked like that of a piranha. His fingernails grew like claws and saliva began to drip down his lips and jaw.

"Okay." Chas tightened his grip. "Still nothing I can't handle." A door opened behind the demon and in ran at least a dozen others matching the first one. "Shit..." The hunger demons charged him all at once. "Zed stay behind me!"

Chas struck out as hard as he could and caught the first demon in the head with the sharp end of the bone. It squealed like a pig and then hit the ground squirming but two more took its place instantly. Chas took a wound to the shoulder and arm but stabbed forward through one's face and caught the other in the neck with a sidelong strike.

"There's too many of them!" Zed screamed. She reached down into the muck of death around her and grabbed a bone then stabbed down into the shoulder of a demon that had bitten Chas on the forearm. The two looked at each and then rushed the oncoming demons.

Several gunshots rang out and the demons paused as they watched five of their comrades burst into flames and vanish.

" _ **...holy magic...!**_ "

" _ **...a priest...!**_ "

" _ **...we must flee...!**_ "

The demons turned to the doorway and stopped. The Question was standing there brandishing his pistol. "You lot aren't going anywhere!" He opened fire, aiming straight for the heads of the demons but they charged him, filled with fear of death.

"C'mon!" Chas rushed the back of the nearest demon and drove the bone through it's back.

Zed and Chas went to town on the backs of demons they could while Question dodged blows and shot them from the front. Once fear set in the hunger demons were easily defeated and the three were left standing in the middle of a massacre breathing heavily.

"How'd you find us?" Zed asked in between breaths.

"Constantine hit you both with a tracking spell." Question responded. "Asked me to keep an eye on you both while he handled his business."

"Not surprised after the first two kidnappings." Chas dropped the bone and they all started out of the hunger demon feeding grounds.

"Thought you were busy chasing a lead." Zed said

"Lucky for you both I finished that early and was able to find you." Question replied.

"Yeah. Thanks." Chas rubbed his chin and his wounds began to heal. He saw Question looking and simply said, "Long story. Another time perhaps."

Question said nothing but they knew he wanted to know more. "Any word on John?" Zed changed the subject.

"No, but we can wait for him back at my safe house. Come on." Question turned without another word and started out of the building.

* * *

Malibu, California 9:00pm

" _...it's okay, honey. I know the accident wasn't your fault. I love you and the children and I miss you all but I need you to let go so I can pass on..._ "

"It's just so hard without you!" a teary eyed man blurted out between sobs.

" _...I know, honey. I know. I wish I could come home but I can't and every moment I spend in limbo is more and more pain..._ "

The man wiped his tears. "Alright. Okay, Misha. I'll let go." He inhaled to calm himself. "I love you."

" _...and I you..._ " the woman's body began to jerk and twist in her seat then her head slammed into the table and she didn't move.

"Oh my god! Madam Xanadu! Madam Xanadu!" The man's eyes widened. His friends had told him not to go to a psychic but he didn't think he'd have to deal with seeing a woman die in front of him.

Suddenly she sat upright and her eyes were the color of milk for a moment then returned to normal. "I'm fine. Thank you for your concern."

"No, thank you for letting me talk to my wife again," the man said happily and stood up. "I'll be sure to leave you a good review on Yelp."

Madam Xanadu turned her back and began tinkering with objects, ignoring the foolish man she'd just scammed out of three hundred dollars. The sound of the bells above the door ringing signaled he was gone and she exhaled loudly.

Then the bells rang again, "I'm sorry we're closed for the night." she said sweetly but kept her back turned to hide the annoyance on her face.

"I'm a bit shocked to see you running a scam like this, love. It's much more up my alley."

Madam Xanadu turned around, "John Constantine? It's been years." she didn't sound especially happy saying this.

"Indeed it has." Constantine lit a cigarette. "Seems like you've fallen a bit on the food chain so to speak."

Madam Xanadu scoffed and waved her hand. "Immortality gets boring. This is simply fun for me." She motioned for Constantine to follow her and led him into the back area of the business. Constantine heard the doors lock then the store began to close itself down and the lights began to go off behind them.

She led him to a solid wall and with the wave of her hand a doorway appeared. The door opened and led into a lively occult nightclub.

"Now this is the Xanadu I remember." Constantine smirked as he looked around from the doorway. There were all sorts of creatures and humans in attendance and the band was playing a lively tune that made him tap his foot for a moment. This was a place where anything someone with magical abilities could get whatever he wanted. Dozens of doorways were all over the establishment and Constantine knew some hid sexual fantasies being lived and others were paths to only God knew where.

Madam Xanadu waved off the comment and continued walking, "Just another thing to help the centuries pass," she said nonchalantly. Constantine knew that he wasn't in Los Angeles anymore and likely not even the same plane of reality. This club reeked of magics from numerous sources, blended together like a seductive cocktail.

Constantine followed her and eventually they made it to her office where she unlocked the door and waved him in. He went into the office and took a seat on the opposite side of the desk while Madam Xanadu sat in the large chair reserved for the boss.

"So, why have you come to see me after all this time? You must need something." She got straight to the point.

"Well damn! Can't even offer a bloke a drink?" Constantine joked but straightened up when Xanadu continued to stare daggers. "Oh, come off your high horse there like you don't bloody know what's going on out there! Everything's gone bananas and I need to know where I can find Felix Faust." Madam Xanadu's face was a mask. "You already knew Faust was behind this?"

"We immortals tend to stay out of the doings of mortals."

"But Faust is immortal! And he's mucking up the natural order!" Constantine pointed out.

"Not truly immortal like myself." Madam Xanadu waved him off. "Still, whatever he's doing is amassing massive amounts of power and we can't have him becoming too mighty now can we?"

"No, we can't." Constantine rolled his eyes. He disliked dealing with immortals as their views on life and the loss of it were distorted by lengthy existences.

"Faust has death cults worshiping whatever random deity those foolish mortals believe in now. They sacrifice and kill in his name, fueling his death magics. My sources haven't been able to locate his whereabouts as of yet but we have been tracking this man." Madam Xanadu took out a police report page.

"Who's this..." Constantine glanced at the paper. "...Donald Trump supposed to be?"

"That, my dear Constantine, just so happens to be the leader of a death cult that worships a deity I hear you've recently spoken with." Madam Xanadu grinned and it made Constantine uneasy.

If he was surprised by her knowledge of recent events Constantine didn't show it. "The First..." he whispered and looked at the paper for more information.

"Yes, the First of the Fallen. Donald leads the cult but unbeknownst to majority of it's members Donald really takes orders from Felix Faust to further whatever agenda he's working towards."

"How do you know this?" Constantine asked.

"Followed the money." Madam Xanadu replied. "He receives deposits monthly from a dummy account that traces back to a corporate interest I know Faust is a major holder of."

"Bloody immortals using that life to rack up fortunes." Constantine shook his head, feeling a bit jealous he wasn't rich for a moment.

"Indeed we do." Madam Xanadu didn't seem to notice or care. "You find Donald and make him talk. He'll be able to point you in the direction of Faust."

Constantine folded up the paper and tucked it away then stood up to leave. "Thanks, Xanadu." he smirked. "Been a pleasure as always."

"The cancer has nearly eaten through your chest. It's a wonder you're even able to move at all." Her cold voice stopped Constantine at her office door. "Yet you still smoke. Are you eager to suffer the First's tortures?"

Over his shoulder and with a cigarette in his mouth Constantine said, "Don't worry your precious little self about me. The First won't get anywhere near this lovely body anytime soon."


	8. Chapter VIII

Ordo Ab Chao

Chapter VIII

* * *

Midnight

Question's Safe-house, Koreatown

Zed ran and wrapped her arms tight around Constantine the moment he walked into the door. "Well, that's a bit unexpected." He looked at Chas with a grin. "She gets possessed while I was gone?" he joked.

Zed regained her composure and immediately pushed Constantine away and quickly tried to wipe her eyes. "Shut up, John. I didn't know what had happened to you after you left the hospital."

"Tears for me too, love? You're gonna' make me feel special if this keeps up." Constantine chuckled and Chas scowled. "I'm fine. I promise. Better than I was before actually."

"Cancer gone?" Question asked and Constantine got the eerie feeling that somehow this faceless weirdo knew about his deal with the devils.

Constantine grinned. "Gone? No. I'll be fine, though, my faceless companion. You all just wait and see." He clapped his hands together. "Now on to new business. I've got a lead on Faust and we need to act on it immediately."

"Madam Xanadu?" The Question seemed to be full of information Constantine couldn't figure how he'd obtained.

"You and I are gonna have a long talk about your sources later, my friend." Constantine wagged a finger at Question. "But yes, Madam Xanadu provided me with a proper lead and that's where you and I are headed tonight."

"And what about us?" Zed stepped forward, eager to help in any way.

"It's best if you two sit this one out. Can't have you getting kidnapped. Again." Constantine's tone showed he would hear no debate on the subject so Zed fell back defeated. Chas, however, folded his arms and looked stern. "C'mon mate, there's nothing either of you can do. Stay here, sleep or whatever and we'll be back by morning. I promise."

Zed and Chas both looked apprehensive but knew there was nothing either of them could do and so they nodded in agreement with Constantine's terms after a few moments of silent contemplation.

"Good." Constantine sparked up a cigarette and inhaled deeply.

"You're never going to stop smoking those are you?" Zed grumbled.

Constantine exhaled a large cloud of cancerous smoke. "The thought never crossed my mind love."

* * *

1:30Am  
Rancho Palos Verdes, California

"How do you know this is the place?" Question's faceless head turned left and right surveying the area carefully. He and Constantine were currently kneeling behind a large hedge of shrubbery and spying across a wide street at a large and darkened house.

"Crazy how the most evil things happen in the most beautiful and prominent areas, eh?" Constantine said but was more so talking to himself. Rancho Palos Verdes was one of the most beautiful locations in Southern California. The homes were dozens of acres and filled with the richest and most uppity that the country had to offer. One would look at the area and think nothing wrong could happen here but this is where Madame Xanadu's tip had led them. This was the home of the man named Donald Trump that they were looking for.

"In my experiences, all of the most despicable things are caused by those who present themselves as the most benevolent." Question's voice was leveled but Constantine got the vibe that there was more to that statement than he led on.

Constantine ignored the urge to dig for more and looked back at the home. "Then name Xanadu gave me only had one address listed. Took some digging to find, the rich have a way of hiding. Had to use some magical persuasion but I was able to find this place."

"So what's the plan?" Question asked.

"We sneak in and have a look around. Find this, Donald Trump fellow and then poke 'em till he tells us where Faust is."

"That's it?" If Question had a face Constantine could tell it would have a skeptical look on it.

"That's it. Easy as pie," he assured him.

"Nothing is ever that easy, Constantine." The Question rose from the buses and began walking towards the house. It was dark on the street and incredibly quiet. "It's too quiet," he whispered to himself.

Once they stepped onto the property of Donald Trump the hair on Constantine's neck stood on end . "Slow down, mate. There's a magical barrier around the house. Powerful stuff." Constantine clapped, rubbed his palms together and then closed his eyes. " _Rumpe moras et permittit nobis ingressum_!" an invisible barrier that was around the home vibrated for a moment allowing Question and Constantine to see it and then a portion slipped forming a doorway. "In before it closes."

Both of them passed through just as the hole closed. "Will they detect what you just did?" Question asked.

"Not on your life. I'm the best mate. The very best." The door opened and out ran several armed guards pointing rifles at Question and Constantine.

"The best huh?" Question shook his head.

* * *

1:30AM  
Koreatown, California

Zed and Chas sat in a small restaurant eating noodles and soup. It was late but like most places in Southern California this location was open 24 hours. A blessing since Question had no food whatsoever in his hideout and the two of them were starving. They ate mostly in silence but it was clear what was on their minds.

"You think John's OK?" Zed finally asked.

"Usually is." Chas slurped the soup from his spoon. "Never had Korean food before we got here. Actually pretty good."

Zed smiled, "I know right! Makes me think about all the other stuff I haven't tried yet." She stared blankly into her soup for a moment.

"Also makes you think about if you'll live long enough to experience any of those things doesn't it?" Chas was looking up at her from his spoon.

Zed nodded. "Yeah. It really does." she put her spoon down. "We got kidnapped twice in the past few days. By demons and voodoo priests."

Chas laughed, "I don't know if Papa Midnite is technically a voodoo priest but that's a very apt description." They laughed together for a minute and then the silence returned. "So you thinking about leaving our little coven and going back to a normal life?"

Zed snorted. "A normal life? Please. I couldn't do that even if I wanted to. There's no going back now, Chas."

Chas ate more. "I had the same realization a few months after first meeting John. It's not an easy life but it has its moments. We do some good and I help keep my friend from completely going over the deep end."

Two men dressed in all black both entered the small eatery. The groups looked at each other for a brief moment and then the two men went to order their food so Zed and Chas went back to their eating. A small TV hanging in the upper corner near the door was on and everyone listened to a report on the news about a string of random kidnappings that was happening in Los Angeles.

* * *

1:45Am  
Rancho Palos Verdes, California

Constantine and Question watched as the last two guards fought it out in front of them. They were soaked in blood from their heads to their toes and punching each other repeatedly giving off bone crunching sounds.

Constantine and Question were unstained and hadn't lifted a finger to defeat the dozen or so men. As soon as the guards drew down on them Constantine invoked a magical dominance spell and ordered the men to kill each other. Several died of gunshot wounds as the group opened fire on one another but when the bullets ended the men began to beat each other to death with whatever was on hand.

Constantine smoked a cigarette, "Well c'mon then, Question. Our host is likely expecting us now." He walked past the two fighting men just as one got the upper hand and began to pound away at his weakened foes face.

Question closed the door behind them. "There wasn't a more quiet way of doing that? You're going to get us killed."

"Yeah but in the heat of the moment I just did the first thing that came to my mind," Constantine admitted.

"We're splitting up." Question said abruptly. "I'll find you when the time is right."

"Now hold on just a minute you don't get to-

Question walked off around a corner and when Constantine went to follow the faceless man was gone. "Bastard spies and their sneaking off. I could find you ya' know!" he half shouted. He could tell that Question wasn't pleased with his lack of a plan and his execution of the guards but they were gone and he was alive so Constantine viewed that as a win.

"Right. So now where to?" he asked himself as he looked around. The interior of the home was massive, much more so than it looked from the front. There were stairs heading up as well as two halls heading off straight ahead and rooms to the left and right. It was beautifully decorated with paintings, plants and antique and expensive vases, desks and other items. Constantine was certain he could snatch one or two items and net a pretty profit if he wanted to.

He started walked towards where he sensed magic coming from and lit a cigarette as he gazed at the home. He wasn't sure if it was magically extended or if the property was truly built this large but he knew it was too big for sure. Either that or the owner was too comfortable in his own power. Nobody had come since the guards had been slaughtered outside and he had a feeling that nobody would. Either they were too busy doing whatever it was they were doing or they simply couldn't hear the ruckus because of the size of the home.

He also found it strange that there were no magical defenses inside he could sense but that was all to the good and made his job easier. Constantine's instincts led him to a large wooden door that had no knob or any way to open it. He could sense the door was sealed by blood magic and that meant only something similar would have any affect on it. That or some really powerful magic that he didn't feel much like working at the moment. Dozens of esoteric symbols were carved into the door, all of which he knew held evil meanings and backgrounds. A few were from protection but were meant to protect evil from the forces of good.

Lucky for him, Constantine was anything but good.

He could sense the magical leaking from the door and knew he would have to invoke a pretty powerful and delicate spell to open the door without alerting those that were on the other side.

"This would be a lot easier with some-

"Hey! You! Stop right there!"

Constantine turned and saw two guards running towards him with weapons drawn. "Luck be a lady tonight." Constantine held up his hand and froze the two men in place. Their faces twisted up into fear and agony from trying to struggle against his magical hold.

Constantine exhaled cancerous smoke as he smiled, "Sorry about this gents but I need a bit o' blood to knock this door open real quiet like. You both don't mind helping a bloke out, yeah?" The men struggled and grunted but couldn't actually speak. "Good. **Go to sleep**." both of them folded down onto the floor snoring softly.

Constantine kicked their guns away mumbling, "Bloody useless things," and then rolled up the sleeves on his jacket. He gave both the sleeping men a few swift kicks to their faces to making them both bleed a from their lips and noses.

He stood between the door and the bleeding guard's men with one hand pointed down at them and one aimed at the door. " _Aperiesque ostium sanguine. Me per ingressum sanguinis patitur_!"

The blood from the men began to swirl and stretch itself like melted cheese from pizza towards Constantine's hand while glowing brightly. It suddenly shot forward and struck the wooden door, expanding until it covered the entire surface, still pulsing and glowing randomly.

"That ought to do it." Constantine walked towards the door and held out his hands then pushed it open. There was a small groan of resistance from the door but it opened quietly and Constantine walked into the darkened stairwell. Torches were lined down into the descending spiral of stairs and Constantine tried to tip-toe down them so as not to have his footfalls echo so much.

The temperature was cooling a bit as he descended the spiraling staircase but he could also feel the heat from the torches and the humming pulse of magic being used as he neared the bottom of the stairwell. This Donald Trump fellow most certainly had spent a fortune having this extension added underground to his property as it was much too deep to have come with the home originally.

Constantine reached the bottom and found a single hallway leading straight ahead with torches lighting the way. He finished his cigarette and tossed the butt carelessly down to the ground then walked swiftly towards the door at the end of the hall. Without preamble, he pushed the door open and walked into the room only to be blinded by a white light.

"Bloody hell!" he rubbed his eyes and his vision quickly returned to see he was surrounded by men in hooded black robes. They were all unarmed except for one who had a large carving knife gripped tightly in his hands.

"Brothers! Our master has sent us another sacrifice! Hail be to, Lucifer!" the knife-wielding cultist exclaimed.

"Hail be to Lucifer!" the others repeated.

Constantine opened his mouth to say one of his trademark witty comments but something hard struck him in the back of the head and everything went dark.

* * *

2:00AM  
Koreatown, California

"Those guys keep looking at you." Chas finished his meal and put down his eating utensils.

"Could be because I'm hot," Zed giggled but when Chas didn't smile she nodded her head and stood up. She carefully wiped her mouth and then drank some water before approaching the two men with a charming smile. "Well hello, gentlemen. What's got you both out so late?"

"Hunger." the man on the left grumbled without looking up from his food.

"And you?" the other asked.

"Same as you guys," Zed replied in the most flirty voice she could muster. It made her stomach turn to even be stooping this low but she wanted to see if she could get a reading on these men.

"That scrub your boyfriend?"

Zed glanced at Chas and giggled. "Him? No. Just a friend..." she mustered the cutest voice she could. "...I don't have a man."

"Is that right?" the man on the right turned in his seat and placed a hand on Zed's leg. That was just what she wanted. Her eyes rolled back for a moment and she was struck with a vision of the two men kidnapping several people and taking them to an expensive home in the hills delivering them to a woman whose face she couldn't make out.

"What the fuck's wrong with this bitch?" both the men stood up.

"Junky whore!" the other man said and they turned and rushed from the eatery while Chas made his way to Zed.

"What did you see?" he asked her.

"We've got to catch up to them and question them. They're involved with the kidnappings the news was talking about earlier." Zed rubbed her head.

"Let's get 'em then." Chas grabbed his jacket and handed Zed hers then they left and followed the men down the street.

Chas crossed the street while Zed followed the men in an attempt to catch up to them. The two men were making their way to a car they had parked and Zed called out to them, "Hey! Wait! You guys sure you don't want to have some fun!"

The two men paused and looked at each other. "I've fucked worse," she heard one say to the other and it made her sick to her stomach but the hesitation was what she had wanted. The two moved from the car and walked towards her. "Where's your little friend?" one asked.

"Right here!" Chas came from behind and drove his fist into the side of one man's head knocking him completely unconscious. The other turned but he caught a swift kick to the groin and a fist to his belly that curled him up on the ground gasping for air.

"Nice work, Chas!" Zed said feeling at ease. She had not known how they would subdue these men.

Chas removed brass knuckles from his fist. "Don't thank me. Saw these in Question's apartment and decided I'd take em with us just in case somebody tried kidnapping again."

Zed smiled. "Speaking of kidnapping." She leaned down to the groaning man. "You're gonna tell us all about the lady you and your friend have been taking the missing people to or else we're gonna making your life a living hell."

* * *

2:15AM  
Rancho Palos Verdes, California

"My fucking head's ringing like a church bell on Sundays..." Constantine groaned and slowly began to regain consciousness. The room was spinning and his vision was still blurry but he could feel his hands were bound and not by natural means. The rope used was magical in some aspect, he suspected that whoever had captured him had known what he was capable of.

"Our second sacrifice has awakened," a voice said in a barely audible whisper.

"Sacrifice huh?" Constantine shifted and felt a wall behind him. He struggled and managed to lean his back up against it. His head still rang but his vision was clearing and he was able to see where he was. "I don't think your supposed master is gonna be too happy if you send me to 'em."

The room he was in was large and round and carved from what looked like natural stone. Esoteric symbols of various origins were all around the walls, roof, and floor. Some were satanic in origin and others were more mystical than anything. In the middle of the room was a raised platform upon which a naked pregnant woman was lying on her back. From the blank stare in her eyes, Constantine knew she was drugged and likely in a mystical trance of some kind.

"You bunch of cultist shits are in some deep shit now." Constantine was beginning to feel more like himself and was starting to weave subtle magics to free himself.

Someone backhanded him and knocked him back down to the ground. His head slammed hard against the rocky floor knocking his senses back out of order. He spat out some blood. "You're gonna regret that, cocksucker," he grumbled while trying to regain his senses.

"Silence!" the obvious leader shouted angrily. "The time has come!"

All the other robed cultists gathered around in a circle around the raised platform and began to chant in unison while the leader stood with spread arms brandishing his knife. Constantine knew what was about to happen but his head was still hurting and his spell of freedom had to be restarted.

"We commit this new life to you, our lord! We commit this new life to you!" the leader bellowed and the others picked up the chant.

"No! Damn you no!" Constantine screamed.

The cult leader plunged the knife down into the pregnant woman's belly and she didn't even move or utter a single noise. Constantine closed his eyes as the sickening sound of flesh being cut filled the air and he knew the cultist was pulling the baby from the mother's womb.

"I'm gonna send the lot of you to meet your supposed lord a lot sooner than you'd think," he swore while taking deep breaths. The smell of death was starting to gag him.

"Bring the next sacrifice."

Constantine was hauled up to his feet and carried towards the platform. The bodies of the woman and baby were being carried off and tossed into a corner and he was laid down in the bloody spot the woman was just in.

"And now you've mucked up my favorite coat. Oh, there will be hell to pay," Constantine promised.

"Your magics won't free you from your bindings. We were prepared for the arrival of a powerful mage. A vision foretold of it," the leader sneered before tossing back his head. "And now we commit to you, our lord, this putrid magicians life! May it be a succulent desert for you to feast upon!"

The rest of the room picked up the same chant as before and Constantine began to feel sweat beading on his forehead. He wasn't going to finish his spell in time, the magic on the ropes binding him was much stronger than anticipated.

The knife started coming down but a gunshot rang out and the knife was flung off into the distance. Constantine exhaled the breath he was holding and sighed in relief. "Took the bastard long enough..."

Question opened fire on the cultists in the room taking them out with precision shots. Five of them fell to the ground with holes in their heads and the others began to scatter and scream as they were unarmed.

"Kill him! Kill him! We must not fail at our ritual!" the leader scrambled to find the knife he had lost while the other cultists turned and threw themselves headlong at Question like raving lunatics.

He shot two in the head and a third twice in the chest but the fourth reached him. The Question easily ducked under the cultists punch and shot him several times in the gut before rolling out of the reach of the others. His gun was quickly reloaded and he began firing on the remaining cultists easily killing them all.

"Don't kill the one with the knife! I think he's the guy we're looking for, mate!" Constantine finally managed to get the ropes free and got off the platform.

The leader then rushed him, swinging his knife like a madman in an attempt to stab or slice the faceless super spy. The Question was too skilled and easily disarmed the man then drove the butt of his pistol into the man's temple knocking him to the ground.

"Where in the bloody hell were you?" Constantine demanded while rubbing his chafed wrists.

"Making sure the rest of the home was empty like you should have before you came down here," Question said matter-of-factly.

"How'd you get in?" The door through which Constantine had come in hadn't been opened.

Question pointed up to a vent that was several feet off the ground. "That's why we scout things. There's always an easier way in."

Constantine nodded his head silently agreeing that maybe his way hadn't been the best. "Right well let's see what this fuck knows and get out of this hell hole. If you don't mind." Constantine grabbed one arm and Question took another and they hauled the leader over to the platform where they laid him down.

"Donald Trump I presume?" Constantine asked the barely conscious man.

"How the hell do you know me?"

"Unimportant," Question said flatly. "We know who you are and we know you secretly work for Felix Faust."

Fear became apparent on Trump's face. "W-who are you people?"

"Equally unimportant. What you should be worried about is what we're gonna do to ya' if you don't tell us what we want to know and quickly." Constantine leaned close to Trump, "I've got a special hatred in my heart for baby killers."

Trump was visibly shaking, sweating and Constantine could smell urine which meant he'd pissed himself at some point. "Al-alright. I'll tell you everything you want to know! Just please, please let me go. I've got a family. Children. I don't want to die!"

Constantine lit a cigarette and looked at Question who said, "Start talking."

"Faust is gathering up souls and life force as well as magic. I don't know why but he promised the more I sent his way the greater my reward would be in the end. I've only met him once but I kept records of all our conversations and exchanges in my study upstairs. Everything you'll want to know is there now please let me go. Please."

Question sniffed the air and Constantine asked, "Did you shit yourself?" Trump began to cry and Constantine just shook his head. "Bloody cowards I tell ya'."

He and Question started to leave the room and Trump sat up, sniveling and struggling to breathe. "Th-thank you...for not killing me."

"Wouldn't soil my hands with your cowardly dirty life," Constantine replied. "You'll kill yourself."

"What?!" Trump was confused.

" **Beat your head against that platform. Harder each hit**." Constantine grinned as Donald Trump stood to his feet, turned and began to slam his head against the bloody slab of stone.

"You're a cruel man, John Constantine," Question said as the door to the room closed behind them.

"No more cruel them most," was Constantine's reply.


	9. Chapter IX

Ordo Ab Chao

Chapter IX

* * *

4:00 AM

Koreatown, California

"You know what mate? This is actually pretty good." Constantine took another bite of the street taco they had just purchased with some money Constantine had somehow managed to steal from Donald Trump's house. "You sure you don't want some."

"Don't have a mouth," Question grumbled, sounding annoyed at the moment. It was early and the streets were relatively empty but even still the Question had his large trench coat collar pulled up and his head low. It was surprisingly effective at hiding his faceless features.

Constantine still wasn't sure if the man really had no face or if he was wearing a mask. So far he'd been unable to catch him eating, drinking or even sleeping. "You've got to have something on under that mask." Constantine was probing for information.

The Question didn't bite, "What makes you think this isn't my face?"

Constantine decided to drop the subject and they walked in silence for a moment soaking up the recent victory. "We've done some good work together." Constantine mused. "Got rid of a cult or two, a pedophile ring, and saved my friends from being kidnapped a few times. Not to mention the detective work gone into finding Faust. I'd say we make a right proper team."

Question said nothing.

"Right then." Constantine finished his meal and tossed the rubbish onto the street. "So now that we know the bloke's location what's say we prepare and then pay the fucker a visit? Faust's got a whole lot to answer for."

"Couldn't agree more." The Question led Constantine up to the stairs that took them to his safe-house. He opened the door to find Zed and Chas sitting beside two tied up and gagged men.

"What the bloody hell?!" Constantine exclaimed and slammed the door. "What have you two been up to?"

"I'm going to have to relocate." Question grumbled.

"I know and we're sorry but this was serious," Zed explained. "These two are involved in some heavy shit."

"Half of this godforsaken state is involved in some heavy shit love. We don't have time for this. We've got a lead on Faust and we need to prepare so we can end this shit." Constantine's voice held some annoyed tones.

Zed nodded at Chas and he removed one of the men's gag. "Tell him what you told us," Chas demanded. The man rolled his eyes so Chas punched him hard across the cheek nearly knocking him out.

"Alright dammit alright." The man spat blood and Chas quickly looked apologetically at Question.

"Look, Zed seriously-"

"There's this rich woman, I think her name is something Pitts. She pays us very nicely to go out and acquire specific individuals for her. Real quiet like," the man interrupted Constantine.

"What? That's it? Constantine rolled his eyes. "We are on the cusp of stopping some sick fuck from gaining supreme power and this is-"

"She's a witch. I've seen her work," the man interrupted Constantine again. This time he looked right into Constantine's eyes and didn't turn from them. His gaze was that of a man who had seen things he hadn't thought possible. Constantine remembered the look well. "I...I..."

"We never saw shit like that man!" the second man finally spoke. "We don't...we couldn't tell her no. The money is one thing but what she's doing ain't right. The cops don't even care."

"What makes you say that?" Question spoke.

The men finally realized that he had no face and both eyes grew wide with fear. "Yeah, yeah he doesn't have a face. It's so scary. Continue." Constantine lit up a cigarette.

"We've been pulled over. Numerous times. With bodies, people..."

"She told us if that ever happened to tell them we worked for her..."

"They always let us go."

That caught both Constantine and Questions interest. "Even still, Faust takes priority," Question reasoned. "This can wait."

"Agreed." Constantine chimed. "Chas, knock these blokes-"

"Whatever it is she's been building up to is happening tonight!"

"We've been kidnapping people more frequently lately. She said she needs fuel."

"What do you mean fuel?" Question asked but the men both shrugged and didn't know.

"They mean the blood." Constantine tossed his cigarette and walked close to the men. "This Pitts woman is going to use them to fuel some sort of blood magic. I hate blood magic." He began smoking another cigarette to the displeasure of Zed and leaned close to the two men. "You both are gonna show me everything you know about this woman."

"Show you?" they looked confused.

Constantine placed a hand on each of their foreheads and began to chant. All three of their eyeballs went white and the two men screamed out in anguish.

"What is he doing?" Zed whispered.

"Killing them." Th Question was to the point.

The screaming continued for a long time and they all stood there silently.

* * *

"Her name's Sherrell Pitts." Constantine sparked a cigarette and inhaled deeply. The room was dimly lit but through the small openings between the blinds, some sunlight could be seen. The two men were completely slumped forward in their seats and not breathing. "She's been doing this sort of thing for a while now. She uses the blood of her victims to extend her life and for other more sinister purposes. Her most notorious name was Delphine LaLaurie."

"She was wanted for the murder and torture of slaves in New Orleans back in the 1800s," Question said. "The LaLaurie mansion fire in 1834 was what brought her the attention of the town. Everything says she's dead."

"Aye, Delphine is dead to be sure. Inasmuch as an identity can be dead. This witch, Sherrell, Delphine, whatever the fuck she calls herself, has been at this for centuries. I was hearing stories of her when I was still wetting my toes in this magical business." Constantine was pacing.

"So what are you saying, John?" Chas asked.

"We can't let her finish whatever it is she's doing. She's pure evil and the stuff of legend. This is the first time something concrete on her has ever come up. Ever." Constantine eyed his three companions. "We can't miss this opportunity."

The Question folded his arms. "What about Faust? It's only a matter of time before he finds out Trump's dead and then the trail will go cold."

"Fuck!" Constantine rubbed his forehead and continued to pace. "We'll move on him as soon as we've finished with the witch."

"Then our time working together is at an end." Question said abruptly. "Take whatever you need when you leave and then never return here. It won't be safe anymore." Question turned his collar up and went for the door.

"What about the bodies?" Chas asked.

"Not my problem. He made them and you both brought them here." Question said bluntly.

"What? So that's it?" Zed looked confused.

"I came here with a mission so yes, that is it." Question left the apartment with everyone standing in mute silence.

Constantine cleared his throat. "Well fuck me, yeah?" he shook his head. "Alright then. Search the place top to bottom and we'll take anything that can be useful to us. I'm going to make last minute prep for the witch and Faust. I'll be back in a few hours."

"No," Zed said firmly. Chas and Constantine stopped in their tracks. "This entire time we've been in this godforsaken place you've been running off doing your own thing and then we.." she motioned to her and Chas. "..have been caught up in some crazy whatever because magic is all fucked up. Question is gone so we're staying with you." She put her hands on her hips and her facial expression screamed end of story.

Constantine looked at Chas who in turn humped his shoulders. "Alright love." Constantine shook his head. "You're safer with me right now anyway. Let's finish up here and move on."

"What are we going to do?" Chas asked.

Constantine smiled a little. "A long time ago I had a chance encounter with a psychic of sorts. A lot of the buggers are frauds but she...she had an air about her." Constantine looked distant in thought for a moment then continued. "She told me some things and although it was a bit ridiculous, I did it." He lit a cigarette. "Turns out today I realize the old bitch was right."

* * *

Some time ago

London, England

Constantine stood outside on a rainy day in London under the cover of a closed shop door with a canopy hanging over the entrance. The cold and wet weather slowed the smoke down so that it danced a bit before dissipating into the air. He watched it until it vanished and then he exhaled the next large plume of cancerous smoke into the atmosphere.

The street was empty save for a dark figure that hobbled towards him. He couldn't make out who it was for a long time until they were close enough. It was a very old woman who looked half blind with a cane and no form of an umbrella.

Constantine felt guilty for some reason and took off his overcoat, "Ma'am you can use this to cover yourself if you like." It was very out of the ordinary for him but he felt the deep urge to do this.

The old woman looked at him and smiled. She was missing several teeth but it was genuine and warming. "Thank you, young man, but I'll be fine," she said in a shaky voice. "But since you showed me kindness I will tell you your future."

Constantine chuckled, "A psychic are you, ma'am?"

"Oh yes and a very good one in fact," the old woman replied while the rain continued.

Constantine felt she was a bit off her rocker but as he finished off his latest cigarette he decided to indulge her. "Alright. Go ahead then and tell me what you see."

The old woman took a swift step forward that surprised him. "Lean down," she commanded sternly. Once Constantine leaned down she took his cheek and stared straight into his eyes. She didn't blink for a long time and Constantine thought something had happened. Just as he was about to speak her eyes went white and his vision was blinded but a bright light that came from nowhere. As swift as the light appeared it seemed to vanish and the old woman was shaking her head.

"What did you see?" Constantine asked, rubbing his eyes a little.

"Much death and much sorrow." the old woman shook her head. "I will tell you this. Take the Amulet of Anubis to California. Bury it at the Inglewood Cemetery in the grave of Nathaniel Clark." Without another word she started to leave.

"California?!" Constantine thought for a moment. "Bloody America?!" he went after her. "Why there? And I don't even have the Amulet of Anubis! What are you even talking about?"

"You'll have it one day and when you do you will remember this and moment and have a choice to make." She looked at him with eyes like cold fire. "I pray you do as I told you."

Constantine laughed and looked down to get his pack of cigarettes out his pocket, "Listen love..." he began. "I'll be honest with you-"

He looked up and she was gone.

* * *

7:00 AM

Inglewood, California

"That's a hell of a story, John," Chas said when Constantine finished telling him how the Amulet ended up in a different country.

"I don't think I'd have done it," Zed admitted.

"I thought the old woman was crazy and damned her after a few drinks but then I actually found the fucking thing. I found the Amulet of Anubis during some of my past shenanigans and what she said to me happened. I remembered that moment and I made a choice." Constantine tossed his cigarette out the cab window. "I scraped up the cash and took a trip out here. Did exactly as that crazy old bat said and here we are."

"Thank God you did." Chas nodded approvingly. "Who'd have even known we'd be out here in America?"

"I know but this is where the muck up in magic led me so it's where I came." Constantine looked out the window.

"What does this amulet do anyway?" Zed asked.

"It has the benefit of hiding a person presence from magical beings," Constantine said nonchalantly.

"That's it?" Chas and Zed seemed to ask at the same time.

"It's also supposed to give the user the powers of Anubis," Constantine said as if it were nothing big.

"The powers of Anubis? Like the Egyptian God?" Zed's face said explain more.

"Supposedly Anubis made this amulet for his loyal followers to continue on his word after he died or some such nonsense like that. I'm not sure if it works, though, never tried it."

"Why not?" Chas asked.

"They say using that can make the person mad among other things."

"Oh."

While they had been conversing the cab had pulled into the cemetery. At the gate, they got instructions on where to go and the cabby was nice enough to drive them as close to the grave as possible. They paid the fare with some of the money they'd found at Question's apartment and then got to work finding the right headstone.

It took all of ten minutes but once they did Constantine knelt down and closed his eyes. "What are you doing?" Zed questioned.

"Marking the grave so I can find it again tonight," Constantine whispered. "Don't worry, it's nothing as disrespectful as oh I don't know digging a bloke up and burying an ancient artifact to come back and dig up some day in the future." Neither of them said anything, his dark humor obviously lost on them. "Right, well, we'll come back tonight after dark, dig the thing up and then go take this witch out."

"You mean you'll come back after dark and dig the amulet up." Zed started walking away and Chas silently followed her.

"What? Aww c'mon friends." Constantine started to say.

"Nope." Chas and Zed both cut him off.

* * *

11:50 pm

Bel Aire, California

"No wonder she gets away with this creepy stuff she does," Chas mused as they drove through the dark and quiet neighborhood. "Look at this place. No streetlights, no pedestrians, no police patrols or even a stray animal."

Constantine rode in silence. Bel Aire had its own entrance and once inside it seemed like the rest of the world was cut off from it. Even their cell phone signals went dead once they crossed the threshold. It had its own golden colored arch that rose over the street leading into the prominent area for the wealthy of Southern California.

"Rich cunts," Constantine mumbled as he smoked and watched another massive mansion roll by.

"You guys ain't from 'round here, huh?" the cabbie asked over his shoulder.

"What gave us away?" Constantine said in an obnoxious and sarcastic tone letting the cab driver know they weren't interested in small talk.

The streets were small but empty and had many turns. It took a while to reach the home but it was at the very end of a dead end street. The massive home was built right into the curve taking up the entire thing. Zed marveled at the size of the home. This was a cul-de-sac but the homes were so big that only three of them were able to fit here. Two on both sides and one in the curve. That one was the biggest they'd seen so far.

"Turn the lights out and let us out here," Constantine instructed the driver. He looked at them suspiciously but did as he was told.

The three companions got out of the car and moved into the shadows. Chas and Zed stood directly behind Constantine who was smoking and staring at the house intently.

"What's going on, John?" Chas asked him.

"Black magic," Constantine grumbled. "Powerful stuff." He reached into a pocket and pulled the Amulet of Anubis out then carefully placed it around his neck. He immediately felt a powerful chill spread throughout his body that quickly passed into a wave of immense heat. Constantine wanted to cry out but only grunted and struggled to control the power he was feeling. It pulsed within his body struggling to be free as if repulsed by him.

"Da-dam-damn...it..." Constantine concentrated with everything that he had within him, battling on some mental level with the powers of a god.

"John are you alright?" Zed tried to touch him but the heat coming from his body was too much. "He's burning up!"

Chas tried to reach and got the same result. Zed looked at him as if to say, 'really?' and Chas humped his shoulders. "You never know."

"I-I'm...I'm fine..." Constantine exhaled a ragged breath and wiped his forehead. "This amulet is definitely not for the weak of heart and mind." He quickly produced and lit a cigarette. "You both stay close to me and we'll walk right into that house. The witch'll never even know we're coming." after a few puffs of his cigarette Constantine was himself again.

They began walking towards the house and as they neared Constantine closed his eyes for a second then opened them and the hair on both Chas and Zed's entire bodies stood on end. They then walked right up to the front door.

"See? Ha! Ha! What'd I tell ya'? Easy as pie." Constantine whispered then he opened the door and a bright white light blinded all of them.

* * *

Chas didn't know how long he'd been knocked out but when he opened his eyes his head hurt like nothing he'd ever felt. "Did we die?" he rubbed his head and blinked a bit, trying to straighten his vision.

When it did he quickly stood to his feet. Where the hell was he? The area around him didn't match up with what the outside of the mega-mansion had been. And why did this place feel familiar to him? He looked around at the apartment and felt his heart begin to sink as realization set in.

Without knowing why Chas found himself walking down the hall. He could hear voices, muffled and distant but he could hear them all the same. It sounded like an argument of some kind but Chas continued to follow the hall anyway. He ignored everything except for one door that he had been staring at since he'd seen it.

He distinctly remembered that door. But that wasn't possible. This wasn't possible. He'd left this place decades ago and watched it burn down. How was he here?

He didn't know.

He couldn't know.

Something inside him kept pushing to reach the door. Touch the door. Open the door. He followed the alien impulse and reached out for the handle even though everything inside him screamed no, especially what remained of the little kid in him. The arguing voices grew more intense and muffled but now he was sure who they were.

It was his parents and this was the door to him and his brother's room when they were kids.

His hand trembled as he used every ounce of strength in him to turn the door knob. The old wooden door cried out and creaked as if it hadn't been used in years. Chas inhaled and swallowed the lump in his throat as he gently pressed the door open. He knew what he might find but he hoped he wouldn't. He didn't want to open the door for fear of what he'd see but the impulse could not be ignored. The door fully opened.

"NOOOO!" Chas yelled as his eyes fell onto the sight he'd been praying not to be greeted by. His brother hanging from the roof dead. The room stank of human excrement from the final release of bowels as his brother dangled and softly swung from left to right. His lifeless eyes staring right at him. This wasn't right. This wasn't how he remembered it. This wasn't how it happened.

Chas turned and ran as fast as he could toward the voices. His parents. "Safety," the kid within him whispered in a fearfully longing way. The hall seemed to abnormally stretch on but he could tell he was getting closer because he was beginning to hear parts of his parent's conversation.

"This stuff you're doing is wrong! Evil!"

"It's power! Don't you see?"

"No! You're endangering our sons! You don't even wash anymore!"

"I'm preparing for something big!"

"I don't give a damn about magic or your imaginary friends-"

Chas had never heard that before. Was that what they had been arguing about? He remembered the events of his life but there was a haze over parts that made him question the validity of the memories. Even as he ran he knew he shouldn't because he remembered how this might turn out just like the door yet the compelling push within him had taken over now.

"No...please..." Chas whimpered as the hallway ended and he came around the corner into what used to be their small living room area.

His father was dead on the ground, bleeding out from a large gash in his neck. Standing over him was his mother with a blank, almost dead look in her eyes. Knife in hand she stood silently and watched as her husband bled to death on her floor. Staring into his eyes the entire time.

Chas crumbled onto the floor. "No! Why?! How!?" He didn't know what to do. Part of him said this wasn't right, this wasn't how it happened. His father and brother hadn't died on the same night and not in the way he'd seen.

But the pain.

The pain was so real and it hurt so much that it had to be. It hurt more than the first time. Chas lay on the floor crying and holding himself.

"My poor little Chas..." It was his mother. Her footsteps approaching him. "...let Mommy help you..."

* * *

"Wake up, my child..." The voice was familiar but the ache in her head made everything feel hazy. What had just happened?

"Wake up, my child.." She blinked her eyes but could only see sparkles and bright bursts. She rubbed them softly and felt her vision returning.

"I said wake up!" A hand lashed out and struck her sending bright stars through her head.

Now, Zed opened her eyes and was able to see but blurry. As her vision came together she felt a fear she hadn't experienced in years. She knew this place and she knew this man. But how? Hadn't she just been with Chas and Constantine? That bright light when Constantine had opened the door! What had happened while they'd been unconscious?

The man struck, Zed again. "You awake yet?"

She spat some blood. "Nice to see you too, daddy."

Her father stared down at her. "You abandoned us. We were lost without you." his voice was deep and he spoke in a low and frighteningly dangerously tone. "You had a duty. A destiny for something greater and you ran from it. But we have you back now..."

"Dad! No! You don't understand! My visions aren't some prophetic view of the future from God! That's not-"

Zed's voice suddenly left her. She opened her mouth and tried to speak but nothing happened. No words, no sounds. She clawed at her throat and became increasingly frantic as she realized she couldn't speak at all. She stared at her father, forgetting the past for a moment and returning to the frightened little girl that would run to him during thunderstorms. "Daddy...please..." she tried to say but could only mouth the words helplessly.

Her father leaned down and smiled. "See. Now you're beginning to understand and accept. Silence is the best choice you've made." he turned from her and doors on both sides of the room opened and robed figures began to walk into the room, eerily chanting unknown words. Some held candles while others held knives or books.

Zed began to panic and tears unwillingly began to pour. "Constantine! Chas! Anybody!" she tried to shout with all her might but couldn't. It only served to make her more afraid and that fear kept her locked in place. She knew this cult and her father's beliefs that her visions were some kind of thing to be worshiped. She'd been locked away by them for years but escaped and had been two steps ahead of them for years.

The cult members carried out a cauldron and began making a fire. Others poured ingredients into the cauldron while the rest continued to chant. Her father passed around a large bronze cup and a knife, each member pricked their finger and shook a drop of blood into the cup.

"What happened?!" She screamed, fully fearing for her life now. She prayed that Constantine would come. Chas. Maybe even Question. They had been saved from situations like this numerous times in the past week. Surely one of her friends were coming. She tried to calm herself down but began to hyperventilate.

None of them came.

Her father came back to her, now fully robed like the other cult members but his robe was white to signify his leadership. In his hands were the bronze cup and knife. "Now we will make sure you never leave us again."

* * *

Bloody fucking hell!" Constantine sat straight up and slapped his head a bit. He was a little worse for wear but he'd been out on the town numerous times and ended up with worse headaches then this. He reached up and checked his neck. It was still there.

"Damn amulet doesn't have some kind of warning system or something. Sheesh. Bloody useless trinkets." He asked around and noticed that he hadn't moved at all. He was sitting on the porch right in front of the doorway he'd just opened. Chas and Zed were knocked out next to him.

He quickly checked their pulses and let out a sigh of relief. He immediately knew what was going on and laughed. "Old bitch put a nice little hex on the place. Got me mates going through some real mental tortures I'd say." He stood up and sparked a cigarette. "Only problem is it only works on people who aren't strong of mind."

The witch had underestimated Constantine's mental fortitude and magical protections. Coupled with the strength from the Amulet of Anubis he was more than ready to withstand her trap. He puffed his cigarette and then dragged Chas and Zed into the house leaving them by the door then locking it. "I'll be back for ya' I promise." He turned and looked at the house. It was massive but he had a good idea where to start looking. Just to be sure he closed his eyes and began searching for magical resonance and it confirmed his suspicions.

"Basement it is then." He shook his head. "Why is it never a beautiful lush garden? Or a bar full of fresh liquor and ready women?" Constantine mused as he walked through the massive home in search of the door to the basement. As he walked he became increasingly tired and yawned a bit, the urge to lie down and sleep became some powerful he almost fell.

"Damn..." Constantine leaned against the wall and gathered himself. "Another trap..." Magic that forced you into a coma-like sleep that you could only awaken from if the person who placed it allows. Powerful stuff to say the least.

Constantine clinched his fist and began to breathe heavily. He knew one sure-fire way to make sure he stayed awake and that was a pain so he punched himself straight across the face as hard as he could. The magic lightened up but was still on him so he did it twice, three, four times until finally, it let up enough for him to use his abilities to keep it at bay.

It would be a struggle until he got past the area this trap had been placed and he wouldn't be at his full potential having to concentrate on fighting it. Still, he had a job to do and needed to do it fast. Faust was still out there and needed to be stopped. Constantine began following the resonance he was led right it and carefully opened the door, this time being prepared for any sort of trap.

The door opened one inch and something from behind hit it like a ram shattering it to pieces and knocking Constantine back into a wall. "Fuck me! Another one?"

What stood before him could only be described as an absolute abomination before God and man. It was a Frankenstein's monster in true form. Pieces are sewn together, some different lengths and colors. Multiple arms and three legs with two heads upon broad shoulders. The heads had tears streaming from their faces and Constantine knew they were in agony. The people should have died but the witch had somehow trapped their souls and used them to give life to this beast.

"Don't worry...I'm gonna' set you free." Constantine stood up and produced a pen from his pocket. He whispered an incantation and using a bit of the amulet's power infused the pen with some explosive magic.

The monster charged and Constantine ducked under its punch that went straight through the wall he'd just been flung into. The monster's arm was stuck and that was all the time Constantine needed. He tossed the pen and jumped away down the hall some. The pen exploded and blew the monster into a bloody mess all over where Constantine had just been.

"Glad I avoided that." He checked his coat and clothing to make sure he was good.

The doorway and some of the stairs were now slick with blood, guts and brain matter still, Constantine walked down the staircase and was met with a pungent blend of obnoxious odors. Shit, piss, sweat, blood, death and perfume thrown together into a choking and horrid mix.

"Jesus..." Constantine coughed and covered his mouth and nose. When he reached the bottom of the staircase he understood where the stench came from.

Cages and cells lined the sides of the walls while all manner of torture devices and several bodies hung from the roof. Puddles of blood and shit were here and there along with body parts and organs. He took one step and slipped on some brain, landing right into a sick puddle of something he prayed wasn't exactly what he knew it was.

Constantine threw up.

"I'm gonna get this bugger good." He swore aloud.

"He-help...he-help us..."

Constantine's eyes grew wide and he shot to his feet, forgetting that he'd likely contracted some disease or another from his fall. He began ignoring the stench and checking the cages and cells. Some of these people were alive but all of them were severely wounded in one way or another. Missing limbs, having savage cuts and flesh missing or too starved and weak to even lift a muscle.

"There is something you can do for them, Constantine..."

He angrily turned around, "You evil bitch!" The witch was down the way from him smiling and giggling a little.

"I prefer, Sherrell now actually," she replied playfully.

"I don't give a damn what you prefer-"

"I underestimated you, Constantine," she interrupted him. "Didn't think you'd be powerful enough to resist my traps."

"I'll admit the sleeping curse got a bit heavy but I managed," Constantine cockily said.

Sherrell laughed, "What? You think this is it? This is the final confrontation?" she laughed again. "Boy, you've just reached the tip of the iceberg." Her eyes changed color and she help up her hands quickly incanting something Constantine couldn't hear.

The few people left alive in the cages and cells screamed so loud Constantine feared they would die from the agony of whatever she was doing. He started to run at her but he was too late. He looked to the right and saw a man's soul rip from his body and float into one of the piles of bloody flesh in the room. Three more did the same thing and then the witch stopped and laughed more.

"Have fun..." She turned and walked away while the souls she'd just stolen reanimated four more of the corpse abominations like the one he'd just destroyed.

"Bloody hell..." Constantine took a step back and reached for his lighter. A quick spell would ignite the room and cook the beasts to death but the innocent souls would be tortured and there were still people alive in the cages and cells. He couldn't burn them all.

The witches words replayed and he realized what she had meant when she said there was something he could do for them. Constantine found himself laughing a little as the realization dawned on him. She'd meant he could kill them, set them free from their agony. But only if he was ready to kill a few innocents in the process. Let himself be killed so these already dead men could live a few more agonizing days and the witch could do it again or burn them all?

Sherrell obviously didn't know him at all.

One of the monsters attacked and Constantine easily dodged away from it's slow but powerful punch. It struck one of the cells and Constantine heard a man cry out from being crushed to death by the blow. "Alright, then beasties." He quickly worked his magic and then tossed his lighter at the ground. "Fire up then."

Magical flames spread throughout the entire room in seconds and Constantine was thanked with screams so horrid he would never be able to erase them from his memories. The fire burned hotter than normal and so he was spared the screams for too long. It took all of ten seconds before everything in the room was dead, burned to a charred blackened crisp.

Constantine threw up again, the stench of burned bodies now blended with the previous odors was too much. "I swear I'm gonna' get her good," he swore angrily and began walking after her.

There was another staircase but this time the bottom hall only led to one door. He quickly kicked the door open to find the witch standing in the middle of a freshly drawn hieroglyph of some kind in blood. Blood dripped down the walls due to bodies being strung up on pikes or hanging from hooks. Several dead bodies were near her as well but they were more of her robed figures. Probably willing sacrifices, their blood used to draw whatever she was standing in.

Constantine couldn't make out what the design she was standing in was meant to do but Sherrell stood in the middle of it looking disgustingly happy. Beside her stood two robed figures and the unconscious bodies of Chas and Zed.

"Knew I should've stuffed 'em in a broom closet or something." Constantine cursed his bad judgment call. "Alright then, here's the deal: let my mates go and I'll only cook your soul a little bit."

Sherrell laughed and it echoed with a deep and resonant evil as if something otherworldly had taken over her body. " _ **...I was expecting more when I saw you...**_ " the voice was that of a man. " _ **...your reputation seems fitting, petty dabbler...**_ "

"What the hell is going on here?" Constantine stood his ground and silently gather some magical energies in case he needed something on the fly.

" _ **...we've never had the pleasure of meeting, of course, but I've heard as much of you as you have me...**_ "

"Faust?!" Constantine guessed.

" _ **...you're not as dumb as they say then...**_ " Faust's voice laughed through Sherrell's body.

It made sense now. He had been wondering how the witch had enough power for all he'd seen. The first spell perhaps but taking souls? The sleeping curse? Advanced stuff that required more horrors then he'd seen in her cells. The Constantine went cold as he realized just what had happened. The men who just so happened to run into Chas and Zed, eagerly offering information. The series of traps that had been meant to seem like they were intent on killing him. This entire mission. Faust had laid a trap and he'd walked right into it.

Constantine laughed as he lit up a cigarette, "This entire bloody thing was a setup from the get-go. Wasn't it, Faust? You needed more time."

" **...You finally caught on...none of it seemed suspicious to you, did it?...this pathetic excuse of a living soul was simply a distraction to keep you busy while I prepared the final portion of my plan...** "

"Don't worry. Once I finish here I'm coming for you."

" _ **...no, John Constantine...I think not...**_ "

Sherrell's body stretched out and her eyes went white. Flames began to pour from her mouth, hands, feet and eyes. Constantine immediately realized what was about to happen. He had seconds to save his friends. The only way was the power of the amulet but it might drive him mad. Should he do it?

What choice did he have?

Constantine didn't hesitate. He dashed for Chas and Zed, ignoring the acolytes in robes that were staring at the witch in awe he tackled his friends and fully gave in to the amulet just as Sherrell exploded in a gargantuan burst of fire and brimstone that destroyed the entire mansion.


	10. Chapter X

Ordo Ab Chao

Chapter X

* * *

4:00 AM

Koreatown, California

(Before end of Chapter IX)

"Then our time working together is at an end," Question said abruptly. "Take whatever you need when you leave and then never return here. It won't be safe anymore." That was one of the last things he'd said to John Constantine and his two companions with a penchant for being kidnapped. Constantine was a shady and dangerous man to be sure but he was likable in his own way.

Question had warned them about returning to the safe-house then left to complete his mission. Faust had to be stopped and there was no way around it. Plus the entire situation seemed strange to him. It was too convenient. Right when they came upon the vital information a new impossible case of dire importance dropped in their lap. Why now? Things didn't add up. The men had seemed eager to get Constantine and the others to stop the witch before Faust. It could have been because of their fear of her so Question remained silent and decided he would follow his own path again.

He stepped out into the world, lowering his hat and turning his collar up as he walked off. He had everything he needed, or so he thought. Question had faced magical beings before and come out on top. It just required subtly, deception and usually a few well placed bullets to defeat them. His shaman skills were no match for the more powerful of magical users of this world. Still, his mind wondered for a while if having Constantine with him wouldn't make things easier.

The faceless man walked a few blocks then turned a corner and entered an alleyway. There he lifted a tarp that looked like a pile of trash off revealing a small and fast vehicle. Question was more direct then Constantine and the others; he had plans upon plans most times and usually had the answers he was looking for and was more so seeking confirmation of what he believed. Even though through battles he had developed an odd respect and sort of friendship with Constantine, Question still kept secrets and this vehicle full of supplies was one of them. Some secrets weren't meant to be shared.

Question activated his GPS and input the address Donald Trump had given them. It was nearly an hour away so he started the car and pulled off. The ride was uneventful and he was reminded again why he hated driving in California - the traffic. It didn't' matter what time it was or what freeway you were on, there was traffic. He turned up the music on the radio and zoned out, preparing himself for a long ride.

….

6:30 AM

Santa Clarita, California

Question parked his car several blocks away and, after glancing around for a brief moment, slunk into the shadows. He'd make his way closer to Faust's mansion hideout hidden from view so he could observe and watch for a time to better decide what he should do. It didn't tell him long however to realize that something was wrong. The neighborhood was too quiet for it to be this time in the morning. The darkness was mostly gone and the sun was beginning to dry the dew, he was in the Estates part of the desert city where the prominent of California moved to for privacy.

At this time in the morning the people living here were up going to work, jogging around the neighborhood, walking dogs or fussing with children. At the moment there was complete and total silence. Not even the sounds of animals could be heard. He got a visual on Faust's hideout but decided he wanted to check something out first. He looked around and saw that the home to his left had two cars in the driveway, one a mini-van, and the yard had toys in it suggesting kids.

He turned towards the back of the nearest home and glanced around, checking if he was being watched. Seeing no one he sprung easily over their large gate and landed into the backyard. Question silently approached the large house and looked through the windows expecting to see a family inside preparing for the day but was greeted by nothing.

'What the hell is going on?' Question thought. Curiosity filled him and he used a tool to pick the lock and enter the home. He moved carefully through but if what he suspected was true he didn't have to.

A quick survey of the home showed that it was indeed empty. Everybody was gone but all of their belongings were here and there was no sign of struggle. Car keys, clothing, luggage all here. Now Question felt he knew what was going on completely. He left the house and broke into the one across the street finding the same results. Urgency hit him in the chest and he walked carefully yet quickly towards where he knew Faust was.

He sensed no shielding nor magical spells about the edges of the sprawling acres the home resided on so he crouched and began approaching the home, sticking to what little shadows could still be found in this bright west coast morning.

Question easily closed the gap to the home itself and took a peek around, again finding nothing. The eerie silence was beginning to get to him, not even the sounds of trees and leaves rustling could be heard. The window was easy enough to pick and once inside it slammed behind him.

"It took you long enough," came a voice from the shadows.

Question drew his weapon. "Show yourself."

Light filled the room coming from and unknown source and then Question laid eyes on the man himself for the first time. Faust was older but still looked strong and spry. He was wearing long black robes, trimmed in gold with esoteric designs stitched around it. It gave him a comical look but Question knew that each of those symbols probably protected him in some form or enhanced his natural magical abilities and defenses.

"Took you long enough," Faust said as light brightened the room. "I've been watching you outside for quite some time now."

Question kept his pistol aimed, "The people in the neighborhood, you've killed them?"

Faust shrugged. "I had need for life force in great abundance." Faust held up his hand and a pulse knocked Question out completely. "Have, I should say."

* * *

5:00 AM

Bel Aire, California

The explosion of flame killed the acolytes before they even knew what was going on. It ripped the entire mansion up from the ground, destroying most of it while what managed to survive was flung a hundred feet into the air. Debris began to rain down, falling into the neighboring mansions causing untold destruction. A thick cloud of choking dust and dirt expanded outward and hung in the late night air like fog. Everything was gone. Faust's trap had worked to perfection and lured John Constantine off his trail.

There was a series of loud coughs and the sound of rubble being pushed aside. Chas sat up, still coughing and rubbing his eyes still trying to gather his senses. Moments ago he'd been reliving the worst moments of his life and now he was...

"Holy shit! Zed?! John?!" He got a glimpse of the utter destruction around him and jumped to his feet. It didn't matter what had happened he had to find his friends. "John! Zed!" he called out and began turning over debris next to him.

A chunk of dirt shifted and Zed flopped out breathing harshly and coughing up black soot. "What the hell just happened?!" She rubbed her eyes.

"I have no idea. One minute I'm stuck in living nightmares and the next-"

"You experienced that too?" Zed was surprised.

"Yeah. What did you see?"

"Nothing I care to talk about." Zed brushed her shoulders. "Where's John?"

Now the mound between them moved and Constantine stood up but they both immediately knew it wasn't him. His eyes were pitch black and his body was glowing with an eerie black light.

"Shit." Chas swore.

"What happened?" Zed stepped away from him.

"He must have had to use the amulet to save us from whatever did this." Chas motioned around them. "John! John! Can you hear me? We don't have time for this! The cops will be here any minute!"

"I don't think you're getting through to him." Zed walked towards Constantine. "John...listen...I don't know what's going on but you have to fight it. You have to fight it and you have to win now. We still have to stop Faust from doing whatever he's doing! Fight it John!"

"C'mon! Fight it! Fight!" Chas urged while Zed stepped slowly closer to Constantine. She began to reach her trembling hand out to his face. "Zed, don't touch him! You don't know what will happen!"

Zed ignored him and placed her hand on Constantine's cheek. His head snapped back and a pulse pushed both Chas and Zed roughly onto their backs. When they got up Constantine was down on one knee, breathing similar to a dying car with plumes of smoke rising from his body.

"John?" They both kept their distance.

"Yeah...Yeah it's me..." John managed in-between breaths. "I-I'll be alright in...In a bit."

"We don't have a bit. I can already hear the sirens in the distance," Zed told them.

"Alright." Chas hoisted John up and slung him over his shoulder. "C'mon Zed, let's go." They began to shuffle through the remains of the mansion into the night.

* * *

7:00 AM

Somewhere in California

"John, this is crazy!" Chas leaned in and whispered.

"He's right," Zed added. "We barely survived what happened earlier, you most of all. You're still injured. And we're short a man now." Zed was referring to the Question who had effectively abandoned them when they chose to stop the witch instead of attacking Faust directly.

"And now you wanna go waltzing into Felix Faust's hideout?" Chas glanced around to see if anybody heard them. They were sitting at the bar in the restaurant and John was having a drink.

"We don't have a choice, mate." Constantine gulped some of his cool liquor. "That last little explosion was Faust trying to end me. End us." he looked at them. "Faust told me the entire thing was just a ploy to buy himself more time. No. It has to be now. We have the advantage, Chas. He thinks I'm dead." Constantine finished his drink. "I can use that to my advantage. We know where he is and we just about know what he's trying to do. I'm ready for him."

"Alright so what's the plan? What are you going to do to stop Faust?" Zed asked.

Constantine stood up, grinning in a cheeky manner. "I'm going to make a phone call."

* * *

10:00 AM

Santa Clarita, California

"Something ain't right here." Constantine immediately felt the hair on his neck stand up when he got out of the cab.

"It's too quiet here," Zed observed.

"Agreed. Faust's been here for a while now. Who knows what muck he's raised?" Constantine knelt down and put his hands onto the ground for a moment. "Nothing is moving anywhere around here except that house." He pointed to Faust's hideout. "Let's go."

"How we doing this, John?" Chas questioned as he fell in behind Constantine.

"Going straight through the front door."

Chas and Zed stopped in their tracks. "That's the dumbest plan ever," they said as one.

"I don't care," Constantine replied. "I've had enough sneaking about and mucking in the shadows. This is it. I stop Faust here or I die trying." Constantine turned and began walking but his mind wondered if he would really die and if so would his plan to come back to life work?

Chas and Zed said nothing as they just followed Constantine to the doorway. Sensing nothing, Constantine simply turned the lock and opened the door to step inside. The inside of the house immediately shifted from a straight hallway into hundreds of staircases branching off until the eye could not see anymore. The stairs were everywhere, above them, below them and all around at impossible angles and heights with no visible support anywhere.

"What the hell is going on?" Chas whispered.

"Disorientation spells." Constantine sparked a cigarette. "Nothing I haven't dealt with before."

"OK then fix it." Zed waved and then folded her arms.

Constantine exhaled and touched the staircase that was directly next to the doorway. " _Mihi vero oculi decepti_!" The staircases began to violently shake and a loud creaking sound filled the air before they all crumbled and the home returned to normal. "Anyone else would have been trapped in the infinity."

Constantine used a bit of magic to reach out and sense where they needed to go. He followed the trail of magical resonance through the massive home. He was tired of looking at all the beautiful and expensive things the rich acquired to mask the sick and perverted things they did in the night. Or day for that matter. He ignored everything except what he needed to know where he was going.

Eventually they were led to a door that seemed to glow and eerie reddish color. Once Constantine was sure there were no magical traps on it he opened the door revealing a staircase down into the basement.

"I've got to be honest with ya' both. I'm sick of fighting demons and psychos in basements. Have these Americans no imaginations? It's like all they can think of out here is doing evil magic's in dank dark cellars under their overpriced homes!" Constantine ranted while they walked down the deep stairway. "Can't fucking wait to go home."

The staircase ended and opened into a large hallway that was decorated with paintings of old men and women trying their best to look regal and serious. "I bet the lot of 'em was pedophiles." Constantine spat on the nearest portrait.

The hall ended at two massive doors so they began walking when Constantine and Zed felt the release of powerful magic sweep through the hall. It rushed over them and Constantine felt a feeling of dread and broke out into a run.

"No...No...No..." Constantine held out his hand and hit the door with so much magical force the doors broke from the hinges and slammed into the wall across the room. One of the doors randomly crushed one of Faust's acolytes to death.

"Ah, Constantine...here you are." Faust chuckled. Faust stood atop a small raised platform that was about four or five inches off the ground. Atop the platform stood three robed figures with their hoods pulled far over their heads concealing their identities. Acolytes lined the front of the platform making a sort of wall between Constantine and Faust.

"You're a lot older than I expected." Constantine reached for a cigarette and began to puff and ash it rather rapidly.

"You're too late," Faust said matter-of-factually.

"Yeah, I got that vibe out in the hall. Doesn't mean I still can't make ya' pay for mucking up magic for whatever sick shit you just pulled." Constantine ashed his cigarette then lit another and did the same. It seemed like he was very nervous.

"If that is truly your issue then be at ease." Faust waved a hand. "Now that I'm done siphoning off magical energies everything will return to normal."

"There's also the little matter of trying to blow up me and my mates."

"Oh yes," Faust feigned surprise. "That did happen didn't it? Even still there's three of you and I have five of my best acolytes. What can you hope to accomplish here? Join me, Constantine and we'll unlock the greatest secrets magic has to offer together."

Constantine puffed his cigarette and laughed, "Just a few hours ago you called me a, what was it? A petty dabbler. Now you want me on your team? Seems a bit fishy don't ya' think?" he finished the second cigarette and dropped it to the ground.

"Kill him," Faust growled.

Two of the acolytes tried to run at him but Constantine knelt down and placed his hand on the ground. A shock of bright lightning spread across the floor and engulfed the two men, roasting them alive.

"What? But how?" Faust demanded.

Constantine grinned and brushed the ash off his hand. "Drew a nice little spell out on the ground in ash while you were rambling on there, Fausty. I usually don't use that sort of stuff but when in Rome, am I right?"

Faust growled angrily and held out his hand in a gripping manner trying to bring Constantine towards him but nothing happened. "You really think I didn't come here prepared to face you?" Constantine rolled up his sleeves showing pentagrams and other symbols drawn on his forearms. Constantine then cockily lit another cigarette. "Is that all you got?"

Faust unleashed a fireball that slammed into the Constantine's magical barrier and then washed over it in a torrent of flame. Zed and Chas looked on in amazement as the fire stretched around them trying to find a way into John's protections. After a moment it flicked then went away and the floor around them was scored and blackened.

"I'd heard so many things about you, Fausty..." Constantine taunted. "..I'm a little disappointed. I expected more."

"Silence!" Faust roared and sent out a bluish pulse that shattered Constantine's shield and knocked him to his knees.

"Well damn..." Constantine stood right back up. "That's a bit better."

"Enough of this." Faust drew both his hands up and the remaining acolytes began to shake violently as their souls were sucked from their bodies. " _Vocat_ _irae daemone opprimi offeram tibi aperire animae iter_!"

"You bloody fool, what have you done?!" Constantine immediately regretted his decision to toy with Faust as the souls of the men swirled together before starting to pulse and glow a fiery dark red. Constantine was stopped in his tracks as the fiery red souls exploded outward knocking him down and a blood curdling otherworldly roar went up.

Before them stood a behemoth of pure fire and rage, nearly eight feet tall. Its head was that of a bull with metallic horns and blood red eyes filled with unbridled rage. In its nose was a large silver hoop that had magical carvings in it. Its body was almost human-like if not for the tufts of fur here and there and the over sized muscles that pulsed with steam and sweat. The creature's legs were that of a goat with its tail hanging behind it and, seeming to snap at things as it swayed to and fro.

"Bloody hell..." Constantine grimaced knowing this was not going to be easy. "Chas, Zed! Leave now!"

Faust stood beside the creature and then waved a hand. From the roof dropped a rope that was tied around a bloody and beaten Question. The demon roared, sending spittle all around in front of him and started towards Question. "Stop me or save your friend." Faust turned and began a spell to open a portal.

"Damn you, Faust!" Constantine grumbled just as Faust and the three hooded figures walked through the portal vanishing. "This isn't over!" He turned to Question and used a light magical spell to slice the rope and the spy fell roughly to the ground just as the demon swung where he just was. Constantine closed his eyes and then released a burst of bright white and blue that struck the demon in the face and knocked it back a few steps.

"Get Question and get the hell out of here!" Constantine ordered his friends.

Chas immediately ran and picked him up. "What about you?" Zed asked.

"Don't worry about me love. I planned for just this situation." Constantine smiled in his classic way then shouted. "Now go!" As they turned he closed his eyes and opened a portal of his own next to him.

Out stepped Susana the Succubus in her human form. He had let her live after they had finished with their sexual escapades deciding that she would be more use to him alive then dead. She could be plied for information or used for a situation like this. Constantine was thankful he'd had enough sense to realize that before he banished her.

The demon recovered from the blast to the face and screamed in a blood thirsty way. "You summoned me to fight that?" Susana recoiled a bit from the scream.

"I figured you could work some of your magic's on the dimwitted beast and make the kill easier," Constantine offered.

Susana rolled her eyes. "That should be easy enough." She stepped forward, shedding her human form revealing her fully nude demonic self. The demon roared again but Constantine saw the glint in its eyes that meant she was working her sexual magic's on it. He began preparing to deal the final blow.

Susana slowly walked towards the demon smiling and holding out her hand a bit as she got closer. The demon stopped roaring and reached out as well beginning to walk towards her now. It was completely entranced and Constantine moved off to the left preparing to strike.

"That's right, my love. Come to me..." Susana's voice held a deep and powerful echo that would draw any man of any species to her, and probably a fair number of women and other varied entities.

The demon took two final steps then snatched Susana up in his arms and ripped a chunk out of her throat. She didn't have time to scream as she was slammed into the ground and the demon began to literally eat her alive, tearing chunks of flesh from wherever he could with his mouth and hands.

Constantine cursed and jumped forward, attempting to stab the demon through with a concentrated blade of his magic's. Right when he was close enough the demon turned and slapped him so hard he flew across the room and right into the concrete wall. Everything was black and white stars and he couldn't breathe but he knew the demon would be on him as soon as he finished feasting on Susana.

'Poor Susana,' Constantine absently thought and tried to stand. He got halfway before pain shot through the right side of his body and he coughed up some blood. "Great..." he wiped his mouth."Broken ribs and more." Ignoring the pain, he stood straight up but then a fit of coughing began to take him and he collapsed back down choking on his own spit and blood. 'Fucking cancer…'

He heard the demon roar again and knew that its meal was done and it wanted more. "Get it together, Johnny..." he struggled to his feet again just in time to meet eyes with the demon. It charged at him again and this time he put up a shield that deflected most of the initial blow. He still flew backwards and slammed into the wall again, this time hearing the audible crack of ribs and bone. The demon charged again.

"Not...gonna...get me..." Constantine hit the demon with all he had left right as it reached a step away from him and the demon was knocked back several feet and let out moo-like sounds that let Constantine know he'd done some damage. Was it enough?

This time getting to his feet was almost impossible and he could see the demon recovering as well, almost unharmed by what little magic Constantine could focus to muster. The demon roared and charged again and this time Constantine knew it was over and hoped his previous gambit paid off.

Gunshots began going off and the demon screamed and fell forward rolling past Constantine and leaving blood trailing behind it.

Question stood leaning on Chas shoulder and pointing his gun, barely able to stand. "Thank you," Constantine managed to whisper. He reached his hand out and dipped it in the demon's blood and began drawing out what he needed to banish this beast; there would be no killing it with Susana having failed.

The demon stood again and now its eyes pulsed with red and yellow as it entered an even more heightened state of rage. It raised its arms high to crush Constantine but Question opened fire again, tagging the demon several times in the chest and once in the head, giving Constantine the time he needed to finish. The demon recovered even quicker this time and stood over Constantine, poised to strike him again.

" _Mitteret ad inferos aditus aperit creatura_!" Constantine shouted at the last second and white flames shot upwards making the demon recoil and cry out. As its lower half was slowly burning away and shrinking downward into the ground Constantine stood up and grinned. "Good riddance ya' ugly fucker."

The demons roar shook the very walls of the mansion and it lashed out with what form it had in this world still, smacking Constantine across the head with all its might just as it vanished. Constantine flew silently through the air and slammed head first into the wall right beside his friends. His body slammed into the ground roughly and blood began leaking from his head with a patch of it on the wall where he contacted.

"Oh my god, John! No!" Zed and the others ran to him and she checked his pulse then immediately broke down crying. Chas closed his eyes and turned his back while Question stood holding his injured ribs. "He's dead! He's fucking dead!" Zed cried out. "Please God no!"

" _ **God cannot hear you here,**_ _ **girl**_..."

The room began to grow colder than any of them had ever experienced and in seconds they were shivering and filled with fear. "What the hell is going on?"

" _ **I am here to claim what is mine**_!" The light in the room faded and a shadowy figure of horrific majesty stepped into view. To look at him was so painful the three turned their heads and began cowering in fear.

"You-You can't take him!" Zed tried to sound strong.

" _ **Ha! Ha! Ha! Haaa! None may command me! John Constantine's soul is mine! The cretin sold it to me in exchange for seeing this foolishness through! And even without that mark Constantine's soul was damned long ago!**_ " The Lord of Hell raised his hand and Constantine's soul rose from his body and appeared before them.

"John! No!" everyone was shouting.

Constantine's soul looked at his friends and shocked them all by smiling. "Don't worry mates...I've got a plan..."

" _ **You fool! Nothing can save you now**_!"

An explosion of flame popped up to the right of Constantine and out stepped another Lord of Hell. " _ **John Constantine, the time to honor our bargain has come. Your soul belongs to me**_." The second Hell Lord licked his lips in anticipation then suddenly the third lord of Hell came forth.

" _ **What are you two doing here**_?" the third asked of the first and second.

" _ **This mortal sold me his soul in exchange for**_ -"

" _ **Constantine's soul is mine! I will not let either of you have it**_!" the second interrupted the first and all three drew flaming swords that send Zed, Chas and Question running from their heat.

All three Lords of Hell stood poised for battle when Constantine said, "Now I don't think any of you want to get into a death battle over my soul. What would happen if one of you actually managed to kill the other? Then he'd have the strength to wipe out the remaining and rule all your kingdoms. Is one little old human soul worth all that?" Constantine's soul reached for a cigarette then realized he was dead.

" _ **You've tricked us**_!" the first screamed angrily.

" _ **Let's kill him and share his soul to torture for eternity**_!"

" _ **I'll share nothing with you charlatans! Constantine's soul will be mine or it will be**_ _ **nobody's**_!" The third Lord of Hell turned to Constantine and sent his soul back into his body. Constantine's body sat up breathing and deeply and then doubling over, choking. " _ **You will not die petty magician. You will not be allowed to**_."

" _ **What have you done**_?!"

" _ **Healed him and given him immunity. If he cannot suffer in death, John Constantine will suffer in life. A long and torturous life. All around you die, Constantine. You will watch as your friends and family die. You will live on knowing you have been the cause of all their suffering and misery for we may not be able to take your soul but your friends are not so protected**_..." With that final word something more terrifying then anything the four companions had ever experienced happen. The three lords of Hell laughed as one and vanished.

"No! No, wait!" Constantine shouted to them realizing now the folly in his plan. Yes he had cheated death but he hadn't expected this. Everyone around him already seemed to die and suffer but now he had drawn the ire of the very Lords of Hell itself and they would see him suffer in ways he didn't want to begin to fathom. "No...It wasn't supposed to be like this..."

"You tricked the Lords of Hell, Constantine. You thought you'd walk away from that scot free?" Question asked him.

"I...I don't know...I was dying...the cancer...I just..."

"You just did what you had to so you could survive, John," Zed said assuredly and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You all have to get away from me. Chas, Zed, Question. All of you. The demons, they'll come. The Lords of Hell will kill anyone and anything I get close to. It isn't safe around me anymore."

Chas began to laugh a genuine and deep laughter and spread to Zed and then Question when he realized what they were laughing at. "John, when were we ever safe around you?"

Constantine smiled.


	11. Epilogue

Ordo Ab Chao

Epilogue

* * *

Unknown time, unknown location

A shadowy figure moved silently through the darkest corners of an alleyway. The figures eyes scanned every nook and cranny before moving from one shadow to the next, making sure nothing was ahead or behind. Eyes checked left then right and the figure dashed towards a dumpster easily springing on top of it and leaping from there to a fire escape ladder that was pulled up too high for the average person to reach.

This was no average person.

The figure climbed the ladder and then the stairs until reaching a window and pausing as if listening. After a moment or so the figure slid the window open and went inside the dark apartment.

A light turned on.

The figure paused for a brief second and then reached up and removed his hat then turned around. A second figure was seated in a corner and buried in shadows. "Didn't expect you so early," the first figure's gruff voice said while placing the hat on a rack then removing his trench coat.

"When I make an appointment I make sure I'm early," a feminine voice replied.

"I shouldn't be surprised really. So I assume this is an off the books briefing or something?"

The figure didn't reply.

"Well alright then. Excuse me if I get comfortable. It's been a hell of a case." The man reached up and sprayed something onto his face then began peeling away strips of flesh revealing his true identity beneath the faceless mask he usually wore. The Question breathed in deep and then flopped down on a couch adjacent to the figure seated in the corner. It wasn't very often during the job that he got to take off his mask and get some fresh air so he relished when he did.

"What happened out there?" the woman asked.

"Nothing I didn't already put in the report. I was on a case following leads and whatnot when I ended running into John Constantine. I'd heard of him through A.R.G.U.S reports and my own personal investigations so I knew he'd be able to help me with this. Believe me, I was in way over my head, I just didn't know it at the time."

"What does Constantine know?"

"Nothing," The Question stretched his arms.

"Good. We can't have a vagabond of a man like that knowing the truth."

"It wasn't hard really. He doesn't ask many questions and I don't offer many answers."

"I have another mission for you if you're ready."

"What is it this time?"

"You'll be going to Santa Prisca to do what you do best. I'll be sending a Task Force X team to the island and they'll collect all the Intel you gather before their arrival. Once you make contact and the exchange is complete your mission and time on Santa Prisca will be over."

"Do I have a choice?"

"No."

"Alright then Waller." The Question sat up. "When do I leave?"

Amanda Waller and the Question continued their conversation in the secret A.R.G.U.S safe house for a while. It was an off the books black site building that Waller used for meetings such as these, with agents that weren't bound by normal A.R.G.U.S rules or regulations. Vic Sage aka The Question was one such individual. Waller allowed him to chase after whatever conspiracy theory or cult plot he wanted in exchange for information and the occasional mission.

This was one of dozens of meetings they'd had since she had convinced him to take employment with ARGUS. Nothing had ever gone out of the ordinary and nothing would tonight. Nothing that Waller, Sage or any of the dozen ARGUS agents watching over the building would notice that is.

High above the building, standing in the windy night sky was John Constantine smoking a cigarette. He had secretly tagged The Question with a little spell that allowed him to track a person's movements and location. Once he followed the spy here another simple spell allowed him to listen in on the Question's little meeting that was currently going on.

Constantine finished his cigarette and tossed it away. Several questions were going through his mind at the moment. Who was Amanda Waller? What was A.R.G.U.S and what was on Santa Prisca?

They were questions for another time he decided. He'd followed Question to see who the man worked for and was reporting to and now he knew. He would do a little digging on Waller and A.R.G.U.S but he wasn't one for the world of espionage and spy life. His job here was done. Mission a success. Faust had escaped but they had prevented whatever he was trying to do and restored the balance back to magic. Constantine liked things simple, good old fashioned possessions and secret cults sucking up magic for psychotic occult rituals.

Yeah...that's what Constantine liked.

He lit up another cigarette and began walking away.

* * *

During the final confrontation

"This isn't over!" was the last thing the three figures head before Faust closed the portal closed behind them. They stepped out into a room adorned with many lavish chairs, bookshelves lined the walls and a few tables with lamps were set up nearby.

"Who the hell was that?" The first figure removed his hood revealing Malcolm Merlyn, now leader of the League of Assassins titled Ra's Al Ghul.

"His name is John Constantine." The second figure revealed himself to be Vandal Savage.

"Well, he ruined my ascension to immortality." The third figure was Maxwell Lord and he didn't look or sound pleased.

"Calm down, Mr. Lord they didn't ruin anything. The spell was a success," Faust assured him. "However, immortality is a bit of a stretch. I would say you have a few hundred years at best,"

Lord's expression went sour.

"There is always the Lazarus Pit." Ra's Al Ghul reminded him.

"I'd rather not have to risk my mind to return," Lord snapped.

"Sacrifices must be made to reach greatness," Savage quipped. "Ordo Ab Chao."

"You told us you could handle John Constantine!" Lord pointed at Faust and all eyes turned to him. "You told us he was nothing to you but he shrugged off your power like it was nothing."

"You do not know anything about magic so do not presume to speak to me about it!" Faust snapped. "Constantine was held off as promised and the spell was a success. He was more prepared than expected but it will not happen again."

Lord didn't have anything to say so he changed the subject. "Do you think John Constantine knows it was us tampering with magic to give me a longer life?"

Savage shook his head. "No. He will think it was Faust and has no clue who we are. He is a bug in a sandstorm. He has no control over anything." With that Vandal Savage turned to Felix Faust and smiled broadly, "You've proven yourself Mr. Faust," Savage opened his arms. "As has everyone here and those that will come later."

"Speak plainly, Savage." Faust said impatiently.

"Very well," Savage looked displeased but continued. "Felix Faust, I'd like to show you the Light."

THE END

* * *

(A/N)

Whelp, thanks to those that read & reviewed the story & even more so to those that left constructive criticism. This was my first time writing a story that wasn't action based and more about intrigue and plot twists. I had a lot of fun bringing it to you.

The heroes & villains story will continue in the Arrowverse I'm writing read along to find out what the villains are plotting in the shadows.

HOUSE DOOFENSHMIRTZ!


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